Blood Is Only As Thick As What You Bleed
by ErraticMess
Summary: John Blackwell is dead, Diana is gone, and the Circle is unbound. After the events of junior year, the beginning of summer flaunts a well desired reprieve. But not all are as ignorant to fall under the season's charm, and soon Chance Harbor's coven will learn the importance of 'that which you break, you ought to fix'. M for language, violence, and sexual themes
1. 1: Blame It On The Sun (Part 1)

_John Blackwell is dead, Diana is gone, and the Circle is unbound. With the arrival of summer, so too do new variables present themselves. Faye falls back into her careless use of solo magic, Jake struggles with the warning from his uncle, Melissa embraces her newfound confidence, while Adam battles with a hazardous insecurity, and Cassie must learn to cope with the loss surrounding her. Relationships, romantic as well as platonic, are being revaluated. And in the midst of it all, a strange young woman brings more than a new face to Chance Harbor. Can the coven's bond extended deeper than just their magic, or will the darkness sever their link forever?_

-8-

**A/N: As with everything, I'm a late jumper of the fan train. Thanks to Supernatural, I kept seeing this on my Netflix suggestions. So, finally, I gave in. It was only one season, after all, thus if nothing else it would be a decent time filler, right? I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. So, being the avid Googler that I am, I rushed off to find out when I was going to get my second season. Damn was I disappointed with the results that greeted me.**

**And now, here I am, with the rest of the devastated, wanting a continuation in order to answer the miles of questions the first 22 episodes left me with.**

**I'll warn you before you start, I haven't read any of the books, and as stated above, I don't feel as though I received a real in-depth understanding of the lore and mechanics of the Salem escapees from the show. That being said, I'm going to try my hardest to conjure the best possible answers. But they will be my own, and thus not canonical in any sense. Considering that is the basis for the majority of us TSC fanfic writers, and fanfiction in general, such a statement is probably unnecessary. Still, better safe than sorry.**

**Thank you, for bearing through my rambling. Feel free to yell at how ridiculously bad at this I am at the end.**

Disclaimer: All properties belong to their respective owners.

-8-

It had been strong ten miles out, but now the intensity threatened to engulf her. Her skin tingled, electrified by the potency of magical essence. Then her hand twitched ever so slightly and a frown slid across her lips. _Dark magic._

The darkness of twilight draped down around the houses and spilled onto the ground, occasionally broken by the too far spaced street lights. Sinister shadow men hid behind trees grown sporadically along the sidewalk. She needed to hurry inside; it was not safe to be so exposed tonight.

Lengthening her stride, she crossed the lawn within a few short moments. She unlocked the door and slid inside, pausing briefly to scan her surroundings, before once more closing the seal and turning the deadbolt into place. With a heavy sigh she leaned back against the sturdy barricade and sank to the ground.

As soon as she could, she would have to search them out, discover their intentions, as well as their standings with Balcoin – Blackwell. Until she knew the amount of his influence presided over them, she was stuck with basic and impersonal plans of interaction. His future involvement was no longer relative, but if there was one thing she had learned it was that his authority recognized no bounds.

In the least appealing but favorable circumstances, she could persuade them into see the dark witch for what he really was: a monster. Presented with the evidence she carried, it would be only through an infallible ignorance that the truth could be disregarded. Or rather, such is as she hoped. Otherwise, the alternative would undoubtedly be more death to come. And after everything that had occurred, the stupendous tragedy they had all experienced, she would be damned if a single member more of Chance Harbor's Circle was lost.

-8-

Cassie woke to the bright rays of an early morning sun streaming through the breaks in her curtains. She lay motionless, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light, and allowed herself to enjoy the fog of sleep still clouding her mind, temporarily protecting her from the inevitable anxiety. As she did so, a pale strip of yellow shaft caught her attention. It shone across the room, illuminating the dust motes and causing them to sparkle like little dancing fairies. A small smile formed at the corners of her mouth in her captivation. It all looked so surreal. Slowly, however, the barrier lifted, and she was faced once again with the devastation of recent events.

Blackwell had been everything she had hoped against – a liar, trickster, evil. He had betrayed her trust on the deepest of levels, and her circle had almost paid the price. At least when they were strangers, she had been able to mourn a good man and loving father. Now she was almost ashamed of the dull ache her heart held for him.

Both of her best friends were gone. Diana was no longer beside her; and as much as Cassie wanted to blame Grant for taking her away, she could not. Diana had deliberately left Chance Harbor, left her friends, school, family, just to get away from her. From the magic Cassie had awakened in her.

And Adam… no longer loved her. That was perhaps the most heart wrenching of all. After Diana, he had been the one she had leaned on the most. Since they had taken the potion, though, she simply did not have the strength or confidence to look to him for the same support. She had been especially cautious about the amount of time they spent alone after the incident during her grandmother's wake. He had been gracious enough to overlook it once, and she was not about to test her luck with a second, potentially even more detrimental episode.

Adam, Diana, her grandmother – once those three were deducted, she was left with alone, with an empty house and an old journal. Sure, she had once been close to Jake. But after everything – his murdering Calvin, trading her lover for his life – she was having a hard time seeing him the same way. Just like Adam. Just like everything in her pathetic little world.

Sighing, Cassie pulled herself into a sitting position, ran a hand through her hair and released a yawn. The clock on her nightstand read six-thirty, informing her that she had plenty of time to get ready.

If Diana had anything, it was good timing. Her spontaneous departure granted that she would only miss the last day of school, which left her standing a senior in the fall – a fact which nearly guaranteed her return in the fall. In a kindlier disposition, Cassie might have been jubilated over the prospect. Presently, however, she could only manage a dim beam of hope.

Her body and mind willed her to follow suit her younger sister and skirt the day's event. But as far as she knew, the rest of the circle was attending, and they would be expecting her. Besides, she needed to publicize a fully intact, wholly in control, and utterly sane, Cassie Blake.

After the news of her father's death, and with him the departure of her last known relative, the town would most likely be in a fritz over her accountability. Although for her, a guardian was completely unwarranted. At, seventeen she was more than capable of living on her own. She was free of a mortgage and car payment, and what little bills she did have would be covered easily. Moreover, there was always the option of a taking up a roommate. Cassie had learned to accept the solitary of being a one-woman-house, but she was open to exploring possibilities if it meant she would not be forced under someone else's roof. Her current state left her in no condition to undertake acclimatizing to a whole other household.

As these thoughts besieged her, she forced her body to follow the routine of preparing for her day, starting with a shower. The cool water removed the rest of sleep's claim over her, replacing it with a new sense of alertness. That was when she noticed the peculiar sensation tugging at her. It was eerily related to the one she had felt last night, yet dissimilar at the same time, and along with it came the feeling of being watched by ominous eyes. Perplexed, Cassie cast a quick glance towards Jake's window, but could not see anything remarkable.

Frowning, she tried to calm the growing apprehension by focusing her attention on getting dressed. _Pink flouncy tank under the white form-fitting one. Denim skirt, brown boots. Necklace and bracelet..._ As she slid the cord over her hand, she noticed the lack of raised skin that had been present the night before. Cassie briefly ran her finger along her palm, wondering where the dark symbol had gone, before discarding the jewelry and replacing it with a pair of fingerless brown gloves, for precaution's sake._ Alright, good. Now hair._

The doorbell rang just as she finished tying her blonde mess up, causing her to jump. She gave herself a quick once over in the mirror, and was halfway down the hall before she stopped. _Was I expecting anyone?_

She remained still a heartbeat, then crept down the first flight of stairs. Hesitating on the platform, Cassie peered over the railing in attempts to distinguish the person on the other side of the glass. The impression she had felt from her room had not released its hold, but had seemed to grow adversely stronger.

What was she supposed to do? Call one of her circle? Cry for help? Her eyes narrowed and the familiar swell of power rushed to mix with adrenaline. No. She had not needed help before, and she did not now. After all, they were not bound, something that had not occurred in nearly nine months. The last thing she needed was a group of teenage witches sporadically throwing magic around her home.

Cassie descended the last few steps and was headed for the door when the figure shifted. A second chime vibrated through the house, accented by her slow exhale of relief. The brief change of stance had allowed her to revaluate the form, bringing recognition and comfort, though it did little to explain the strange energy. Nonetheless, upon opening the door, it pulsed, then fled her mind as though through one large breath, leaving behind a dull tingling of an aftershock.

"Hey."

"Adam," she greeted hastily in her distraction, dipping her head to see around to his frame, "you didn't happen to notice anything… weird while you were out here, did you?"

The dark-headed boy stared uncertainly down at her, though it was only concern she heard in his voice. "Weird like how? What happened?"

"Nothing. Never mind," she said, placing her heels back on the ground. "I've just been on edge all morning. Must be a side effect from the skull." He transferred his weight then, causing her to look up and meet his gaze. "Did you need something?"

His hands in his front pockets, he shrugged and replied, "I was wondering if you wanted a ride to school." He laughed once and gave her a lopsided smile. "That's the last time I'll be able to say that for three months."

Cassie forced herself to mimic the gesture, opening the door a little wider to give him passage inside. "Sure. Give me a minute to finish getting ready." She led the way further into the house, bound for the kitchen, while he closed the door behind them. "Want anything? The coffee's fresh."

"Uh, no thanks. I'm okay."

"Alright…" Pointing with her thumb behind her, she took a step towards the hallway as she continued. "Well, if you change your mind, feel free to help yourself. I'll be right back."

She hurried up the stairs and into her room. As she collected her brown cargo jacket and purse, she could not help but wonder what had spurred Adam's visit. Had she not been pondering over their status merely that morning? Days ago the proposal would have been normal, almost expected, but now… now she was not sure how she felt about it. And she could not help the thoughts blooming. _Why _did_ he come? It's not like I don't have my own vehicle. And what was with the spook before he showed up? Does he have something to do with it? If so, why isn't he telling me?_

Sighing, she threaded part of her coat through the purse's handles, setting it to rest over its body. The palm of her hand felt vaguely warm, and the tingling had yet to ebb. Already the day was showing promising signs of magic-related quandary, and it was barely eight o'clock.

-8-

Summer seemed to be arriving early and with force in Chance Harbor, sweeping the locals into a treat of unusually warm weather. The sun shone brightly over dew laden grass and leaves, branches bearing the latter stretching upwards in thanksgiving. Brilliant blue skies outlined periodic white puffs above. It was like someone had flicked a switch, trading overcast for the season's full magnificence, as though in ditch efforts to counteract the preceding disaster. And it did, to a diminutive extent.

The drive to school was an uncomfortable one. Once Cassie redirected the conversation when Adam again questioned about the 'weird' of the morning, and after becoming accustomed to the disturbance behind her skull, she found that she was left with the right amount of focus for suitably casual small talk that would not drop her heart. While Adam, on the other hand, was cool as ever.

Finally they pulled into the parking lot. As she stared out at the grounds in front of her, she again battled with the idea of skipping. She had much more pressing matters to deal with than a social call.

"Thanks for the ride," she said, flashing him a quick smile before reaching for the door.

"Cassie, wait."

She desperately wanted to grimace. _I knew this wasn't random,_ she thought. Molding her features into one of polite interest, she cocked her head and asked, "What's up?"

There was a brief elapse of silence as he stared at her, the look on his face unreadable. "How are you doing? So much has happened this year: learning about magic, losing Jane and your mom, and now Diana..." She diverted her gaze momentarily, curling her fingers over the absent Balcoin symbol. Was her sister even thinking about her? "I know it's only been a day, but I wanted to make sure you were alright."

Offering him a one-sided smile, she bobbed her head slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, not really. But I'll be fine. Like you said, a lot's happened this year. I've gotten used to Chance Harbor's 'no witch gets a break' philosophy." When he looked about to argued, she interceded. "Adam, really."

He nodded once and glanced out the windshield with a thoughtful look. "What about us? Are we okay?" he asked, turning back to her. "Or will we be _fine_?"

Blindsided by the abruptness of the question, and the reediting of her own word, Cassie felt her face fall in shock. "Wha – We're – I…" She fumbled for words as emotions fought for dominance. _Or will we be fine?_ Played back in her mind, the phrase came out an accusation, glinted with a sentiment she could not place. Regret? Anger? What did he have to be angry at _her_ for? _Except driving a wedge between Diana and him…_ That had not been of entirely her fault, however. Blame fell equally amongst a few parties, he included. _Fine._ Suddenly, she was fuming. A little voice told her she should calm down, that she was taking it wrong, but it was quickly subdued by that increasingly annoying sense in her head.

"I thought we _were_ fine." Her eyes drew to slits, bringing the agitation into her face. "Why, do you not think so?"

"You're behaving like a child."

Where was this coming from? He did not sound like Adam at all. "Wow. And you're Mister Mature Guy over there? Really?"

Grabbing her bag, Cassie yanked the door open and slid out, shutting it roughly behind her. Versus the satisfying slam of metal hitting metal, however, she was met with the explosion of shattering glass. Eyes wide and mouth agape, she lower the arm that had instinctively risen to protect her face and took a step forward, only to retreat when some of the overspill crunched under her foot.

"What happened? Are you okay? Cassie! Cassie, are you alright?"

She had not even heard him leave the truck. But there he was, right at her side, worried if _she_ was harmed. "Adam, I am so sorry. I don't know – I didn't…" She turned towards him, relief flooding her when she found no immediate injuries. "Are you hurt? Did any cut you?"

"No, no I'm fine. I had already gotten out when it happened."

"I can't even – I'm so sorry, Adam. I swear, I'll pay for it-"

"Sh sh shh," he quieted, placing a hand on either of her arms, "it's not a big deal. Just try to calm down."

Taking a deep breath, she cast a sweep around the parking lot. A selective group of people had taken interest in the scene and were edging closer. Nearer the school, there were adults making their across to them. Then a particular set of eyes caught her attention, and the sensation was back, followed by the burning of her palm.

There they were – some of them, anyways. The others were either inside already, or hiding out. Whichever the case, it currently did not matter. These two – the boy and girl – were with whom she was most concerned. Using the amassing students as cover, she worked her way closer to them. She was nearly upon them when she was assaulted by a brick wall of sickly aura. Hands balling into fists, she roamed the throng with just her eyes, ever vigilant in her discretion.

Another pair, also male and female, was stationed next to a vehicle along the row opposite her objectives. She watched as they moved closer, the girl's lips barely moving as she spoke to her companion. When he responded, she shook her head and gestured toward the other couple with the faintest inclination of her head. There were few more exchanges, then they broke and confidently started their approach.

"Adam," Cassie hissed, the urgency of her voice echoing in her own ears. He immediately halted in his examining of the car and provided her his full attention, to which then she leaned closer to him and whispered, "Do those kids over there seem suspicious to you? The boy and girl, beside the silver Impala." Nonchalantly, Adam followed her directions, the clenching of jaw informing her when he had spotted the duo. "Do you think they have something to do with this?"

"I'm not sure." The girl was half a head taller than Cassie, her long blond hair a few shades darker; meanwhile the boy was roughly six-foot, with a mop of light espresso brown. Both were dressed in all black, and looked to be around their own age. They stood close together, watching the scene too intently, the subtle movement of their mouths barely noticeable. "But I don't like it."

As if on cue, they broke away from the car and pushed their way towards them. The crowd parted easily under their almost predatory advance. Nevertheless, rather than departing to their respective classes, the adolescents simply drew closer.

The twosome was nearly on top of them, the boy's mouth looking as though about to speak, when suddenly there was a woman residing in the tight space between them. At first, Cassie thought it might have been a teacher come to intervene – all she could see was her five-seven height, black leather jacket, and short hair. Then the newcomer spoke.

"John. Scarlett."

Cassie felt her blood turn to ice. As she scrutinized his face further over the woman's shoulder, it was clear he had inherited more than just her father's name. He bore the same strong jaw, cheekbones, and even his eyes. How she had not recognized these features sooner confounded her. The girl, on the other hand, held no heavy resemblance. Her tiny nose, light brows, and soft chin curved with feminine grace, and her green-accented blue eyes gleamed with a permanent wickedness.

Those features were, at the particular instant, staring at the dark-haired female with bewildered malice.

"How does this fail to surprise me?" His voice is an octave higher than his namesake's. "I knew I should have done it myself."

"It's so hard to find a trustworthy crew these days, huh?"

A twisted curve played at the corner of his mouth and he let out a humorless laugh. "You and your smartass mouth. Better keep it in check, sweetheart, you're no longer the one calling the shots."

The smirk in her voice was evident as she retorted, "My bad, I nearly forgot. That's up to you, Scar-tits-" a growl sounded from the blonde's throat at the nickname, only to be ignore, "-here, and the rest of the Blackwell spawn now, right? Look around you, John. You're one down, I'm two up thanks to your inability to present a civilized introduction, and I had a _really_ good nap."

Behind her, Adam and Cassie clasped hands and shifted their positions to show their support. John's dark gaze flickered to them temporarily before returning to glare at the stranger. The dark magic Cassie could feel emanating from her half siblings was incredible – potent and incessant.

This time he spoke directly to Cassie, though it was apparent the threat was meant for them all. "Don't worry, _sis_, we'll have a proper family reunion yet."

Then Scarlett glanced at Adam's truck, and grinned. "Nice car by the way."

Adam moved as to step forward, but both siblings had already been repelled back several feet. It appeared that John, in particular, had been shoved by a wrecker, and when he coughed into his sleeve, Cassie could see specks of blood. The woman's hands had been suspended, but she knew the two had not been moved by physical means. "It's time for you to leave."

"Ah, looks like you've benefited well from our little… breakup."

She let out a quiet laugh and shook her head slightly. "You always did underrate the rest of us."

His face contorted at the statement, but it seemed to have induced some kind of reaction, because he turned to Scarlett. "Come on, Scarlett. This will be dealt with soon enough." After glowering a moment longer, the girl did what she was told, reluctantly breaking contact to turn and follow in his retreat. The woman remained rooted in her spot as they are sauntered away, not breaking her guard until they had disappeared from sight.

-8-

By then the teachers had reached them, scattering the horde and making inquiries, to which the woman had all of the explanations.

She was pretty, to say the least. Her skin was light, exceedingly so in contrast to the amount of black and otherwise dark shades bordering it. With hair a deep burgundy-plum mixture, tipped black, streaked purple, and decently short – the longest piece cut just past her ear – it was definitely the most colorful part of her. Yet, rounded, dark eyebrows suggested she was not ordinarily so. Her blue-gray eyes were rimmed with black liner and long lashes, full lips a natural pale pink, and cheeks untouched by blush or bronzer. The black continued onto her jacket, top, and rider's boots, while her tattered jeans remained content with a dark wash. A piercing sat in the top of one ear plus two along the bottom, with an extra along the side of the other, alternating between silver and more black.

Now seeing her face, she could only have been a few years older. Three, maybe four tops. She looked like she belonged on the cover of a tattoo magazine, whereas she held herself like she was a lawyer – sturdy, calculating, and amiable.

"And who might you be?" Mr. Tolm, the English professor, asked dubiously once she had answered numerous questions. "I don't believe I've seen you prior to now."

"You haven't, I just moved here," she replied. "My name is Levi Rand."

"Well, Miss Rand, I appreciate your intervening when you did. I'm afraid things may have gotten out of hand if left to themselves."

"Of course."

"But if you would, next time, refrain from inserting yourself in school affairs, I would be much obliged. The less third parties, you understand." It was a polite request, even presented with a smile, which she mirrored.

"I do, although I hope I won't have to be tempted again. Are disputes like this typical?"

"Not normally, no," he sighed and looked up in the sun's general direction. "It must be this heat. We're not used to this kind of spell so early in the season. Or at all, really."

"Nature has a mind of its own," she concurred. Glancing at Adam and Cassie, she continued, "I've taken up enough of your time. Why don't I stop by the office later and give them my information in case you acquire any concerned parents?"

"I don't think that will be necessary. These sorts of scuttles don't usually cause much of a fuss amongst the locals." Levi nodded, and the man turned to the them. "If you wish to make it to your classes, you had better hurry." With that, he gave Levi another quick but appreciative smile before walking off.

As soon as he was out of hearing range, Cassie made to speak, but Levi simply held up a hand. "I'd rather not have to repeat myself half a billion times, so before you start interrogating me, how about you text your friends and have them meet us at your hideout – clubhouse – whatever you call it?"

"And what makes you think we'd listen to you?" Cassie posed after a moment.

"Because you want answers, and I need to tell you something, like, last month. So bottle the skepticism for ten minutes and do what I asked, please."

She sounded genuine, but after being burned so badly by her father, her own flesh and blood, Cassie could not fathom exposing her circle to the threat of a complete stranger. What if the whole scene with her half siblings had just been a ruse so that she could infiltrate their sanctuary, to catch them all together (minus one)? These fears she voiced when Adam pulled her aside.

"I just don't want to take the chance trusting an outsider again," she emphasized.

"Look, Cassie, you weren't the only one who made the call with Blackwell. If I remember right, I told you I trusted him the last time you asked. He played us all. And under any other circumstances, I would say no way in hell. But," he paused to look over at his car and frowned, "somehow I don't think we're prepared to deal with four of him on our own."

He was right. The exploding window had not been about a juvenile prank; they were prepared for an all out brawl, right in the middle of the school yard. Just was her luck, that her siblings had inherited the Balcoin lunacy gene.

That, however, did not mean they could permit another random witch into their circle.

"No, we're not taking her back to the house. Not without the other's say-so."

Adam hesitated, contemplating her assertion, but eventually consented. "Fine. And hey," he added before she could leave, "about in the car, what I said, I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from."

"Don't worry about it," she replied, smiling softly. "We've both been through hell lately. The stress was bound to get us sometime." Even as she said it, however, she could not help but wonder if she was trying to console him, or herself.

They turned back to Levi and found her staring intently in one direction, her features oddly placid. "The magic currents are strong here. But you already knew that." When she looked at them, Cassie could see a vague glaze over her irises. "Just as you know about Balcoin, and the skull."

Cassie shot Adam an incredulous glance before taking a step closer to the woman. "Who _are_ you?" Levi laughed once and returned to gazing in the distance. "I asked you a question," Cassie said, her voice growing louder with anger. "Who. Are. You?"

"Oh, hun, I don't respond well to threats." There was no trace of detachment in her bright eyes this time as they made eye contact. "And certainly not from Blackwells." Levi studied her for a long time, then sighed. "But it seems you won't trust me without an answer, and as I said earlier, you really need to hear what I have to say. So, you already know my name, although you could take or leave it. You've seen I'm a witch. Well, you've seen me perform a very basic move, anyways. And I have history with your bloodline. What does that tell you?"

She was about to snap about the relevancy of her spiel when something stopped her. There was a pattern, a familiarity to it that clicked in her mind. Before she could reply, however, Adam spoke for her, "You're from one of the Eastern circles."

Levi nodded, her demeanor grave as she looked at them. "Yes; and one of the last without Blackwell blood."


	2. 1: 2

**A/N: First off, I'd like to thank **_abbiedanielle13_ **for reviewing. This being the first time I've published on this site, and my first full story, I really appreciate the feedback. And I'm so glad you like it.**

**To answer your questions, 1) No, not at all. But for what I needed in the first chapter, she just happened to be the one I used. She's also the one I was the most comfortable writing for. Nevertheless, have no fear, there will be more of the others, I promise. 2) Yes, currently they are still together. I can't promise that it'll stay that way. These tend to take on a mind of their own. But I do lean more towards the Fake shipper [is that the proper name for them? Do they even have a shipper name?] so we'll see what happens. 3) Yes, definitely. You'll see her more in upcoming installments, but she's certainly not going to be a filler character as she was for most of the show.**

**Last mention. In order to give it a kind of episode feel, yet be able to publish them in a more timely manner, and because I don't like long-scrolling pages, I'll be posting each chapter in two segments that will be linked together by title. Maybe that's weird? But as I mentioned above, it's my first item, so I'm playing around with set up.**

**Feel free to yell about any OOC-ness, because I fear there's plenty of it.**

-8-

_"…And one of the last without Blackwell blood."_

That had seemed to snag their attention and finally persuade them into calling a gathering. She doubted they truly believed her, but all she needed was a pinhole-opening. Although her story may be far-fetched, between their reaction, and the magic "footprints" dotting the town, she knew it would only be a matter of hitting the right notes in order to convince them. Having hid her powers for years, she had grown accustomed to selling her point without the use of magic, and that was how she was going to do it now. She just had never thought her hardest pitch would be to a group of kids still in high school.

-8-

"What did the text say?"

"Just that something really big had come up and we needed to get to Cassie's ASAP," Faye replied in that annoyed tone, not bothering to tear herself away from scowling at the window, "as usual."

"Maybe she heard something from Diana," Melissa suggested hopefully.

"Yeah, and maybe it's just Cassie being the melodramatic poster witch for magical issues."

Melissa sighed and signaled for her turn. The bell had barely run when Faye had gotten the message from Cassie. Granted, she had not been overly fond of sitting at a desk on such a beautiful day, but it sure beat having to deal with more circle business. Not to mention that she had planned on taking advantage of the last chance to talk to one of the boys in her chemistry class before he left for the summer. _Oh well now._

"Have you let Jake know?"

"Yup, he's on his way."

"Did he tell you what he was doing?"

"Not a word. Just said he'd be there."

That morning, Faye had arrived at school complaining about how Jake had been oddly tense the previous night, and how she woke up alone with nothing but note saying that he had things to take care of. Melissa personally found no reason to speculate on it, but Faye had been ceaseless in her steaming. This had left Melissa on her own for the most part, something she was increasingly beginning to find enjoyable.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, having nothing more to say in the matter, and let the radio take precedence. Although she did not know the song, the melody was simple enough that she could hum along with after the first chorus.

Halfway through, Faye, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly burst out, startling Melissa to the point of nearly driving into the ditch. "You know what? I bet this is all that little black-magic whore's way of getting us together so she can guilt trip us into re-binding the circle!"

Only after she had regulated the vehicle, and her breathing, did Melissa reply. "That's ridiculous."

"Is it? I mean the last time we spoke she was nearly begging-"

"Faye, we need Diana, _remember_?"

"Oh, right," she huffed and begrudgingly slumped back into her seat. "Guess we're back to melodramatic."

Twisting her torso in the direction of the passenger seat, Melissa studied the girl a moment before asking, "Why do you hate her so much?"

"You mean besides the obvious?" Faye retorted, rolling her eyes.

She returned to watching the road, but she not about to let it go. "You're jealous of her," she ventured when Faye refused to go on.

"What? Have you completely lost it?"

"Admit it, Faye."

"I will not, because there is nothing _to admit_."

"We've been best friends since middle school; I would think I'd know when you were jealous." As they pulled past the second-to-the-last stop sign, she eased off the gas pedal. Not enough that Faye could jump out, but just slow enough that she could continue her inquiring before reaching Cassie's. "This isn't still about Jake, right? Because you know he loves _you_, Faye. That's why he didn't go chasing after her when they didn't show up at the ferry, Adam did; and he came for you."

"Melissa, shut. Up." But after a second, and rather inaudibly, she added, "Besides, he loves her, too."

"No," Melissa countered, "not in the same way he feels for you. You guys have that whole cataclysmic-attraction-turned-true-love thing. Beats the whole Midsummer-Night's-Dream-scenario any day."

That incited a smile from Faye, which in turn made Melissa beam. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Still, she knew that the whole Jake thing was only skimming the top of Faye's misgivings with Cassie, and even now, she was not entirely convinced. The older girl was a long ways from giving up on begrudging the blonde. For now, however, Melissa was satisfied with having settled her friend's paranoia, if only fleetingly.

-8-

As soon as they entered the house, she could feel it. Pain and agony, nights of tears, unholy magic, heartbreak and betrayal – two decades' worth of sorrow bled from the walls, revitalized by current events. And at its core, lay his essence, the very embodiment of ill-will and misfortune, tainting everything.

She ran a hand along the wall as she followed an invisible path into the main room, feeling herself be drawn to a spot on the floor situated some feet from the entrance to the small dining room. At the site, she bent to the ground, and let the reverberations of life-energy tell its story. _So much death_.

-8-

"I'm sorry." Cassie, who had been staring out the window of her door, jumped at the abruptness of the words, and found the woman crouched in the middle of her floor. Her confusion must have shown have on her face, because Levi added, "For your loss, I mean."

It was then that Cassie recognized the area: exactly where they had found her grandmother. Swallowing hard, she walked across the floor to sit on the couch near Adam, who had taken sentry against the fireplace. Neither had really spoken since they had departed from the school, and she did not find a reason to do so now. When the rest arrived there would be plenty to talk about.

Levi stood and made her way to bookshelves, brushing her fingertips along only certain spines, ones Cassie noticed to be her grandmother's favorites. What was she doing? "I know you don't have any cause to trust me – I'm actually relieved to see that you aren't throwing yourself at it – but you don't need to be so hostile. I'm only here for the passing, and then I'll be gone."

"What?" Adam inquired for the both of them.

"I came to offer you information against the Fantastic Four out there," she explained, spinning to meet their gazes, "but I won't overstay my welcome. It wouldn't do you all any good if half of your focus was spent on trying to deciphering whether or not you could rely on my motives. They're the only ones you need to be worried about right now."

"That's it?"

A corner of her mouth rose, and her arms crossed over her chest as she turned to look out the window, just as there was the slam of a car door. "If that's the extent you all choose it to be, then yes."

As Adam and Cassie exchanged a glance, she knew he was thinking the same thing. What had they brought back to the others? Before she could say anything further, however, the door swung open, and in walked Faye and Melissa.

"Alright, Cassie," Faye's irritated call echoed throughout the house, "what is so important that you couldn't even wait five minutes into the day to-" She stopped as soon as she saw Levi, who was still wearing a bemused smirk. "Who's this?"

"That's what we need to talk about," Cassie replied, now standing alongside Adam. Jake arrived the next moment, beginning his own rambling only to cut himself off at the sight of their visitor.

They were quiet for a heartbeat, then Faye asked, "So you called us here to, what, holding a meet-and-great?"

Cassie was about to snap back, but Melissa had already given the girl a reprimanding slap on the arm and stepped toward the stranger. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Melissa," she said, then indicating accordingly, elucidated, "This is Faye and Jake, and you already know Cassie and Adam."

Nodding cordially, she replied, "Likewise. I'm Levi."

"Levi huh?" Faye asked, giving her the once over. "Your parents named you after a pair of jeans? That's funny, your ass doesn't look that good to me. They must have had one of those weird kinds of humor."

"Faye!"

"Who pissed in her wheaties?" Adam mumbled so that Cassie alone could hear. The only reply she could give was a shrug. She had no clue of what had put the naturally cynic girl into the extraordinarily malevolent mood she was in, but it did not fare as a good omen for the rest of the meeting.

Yet, Levi simply chuckled. "That's funny, I was just thinking of what an oxymoron naming you after one of the purest creatures in the magic world was. You seem more like the true nymph or succubus type to me, and I've barely known you two minutes."

"It just so happens to also mean confidence-"

"Trust and belief, I know. Two of which, at the very least, you appear to be overcompensating for." Faye narrowed her eyes menacingly, but Levi did not break contact. "Now, if we done?" Cassie watched as Jake wrapped an arm around Faye's waist and whispered something in her ear. She swatted him away crossly, but traipsed over to sit where Cassie had been a moment before, with Melissa following to take the seat beside her. Jake remained in the archway, leaning against the smooth edging.

_If she tries anything, we'll be ready,_ Cassie thought satisfyingly.

During this time, Levi had been watching them, studying each in turn as though hunting for something. Finally she asked, "You're missing one. Where is the second Blackwell child?"

While the three who had just arrived sat in stunned silence, Cassie frowned. Was that what she had been hoping to achieve in assembling them together? Identify the last two needed for the Balcoin circle? "She's couldn't make it," Cassie informed her warily. It was unnerving, not knowing what this woman knew about them, and even worse hearing how much she did.

Impenetrable steel eyes stared down at her, and Cassie could not help but feel incredibly unarmed against the older witch. "You're unbound, aren't you?" She felt her stomach drop, and four more pairs of aghast stares bore into her skin.

"Who the hell is this?" Faye demanded.

Taking that as her answer, Levi's features darkened. "You're unbound! Are you kidding me?" She glared at all of them, the horrification in her voice pleading them to deny it, to tell her that they were not, in fact, a congregation of free witches. When no one answered, she ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. "Do you have any idea the advantage you've given them? The blessing it is on Blackwell's plan to have you all unbound? And now you're saying you've let one of your vital members waltz right out the door, leaving you at half mast and half cocked! You're just lucky it means they are, too." She balled her fists, and looked at the ground. This Levi woman, if that was truly her name, was either a brilliant actor, or a desperately heartbroken witch who had felt she had just gotten socked in the gut. "How the hell could you be so ignorant?"

"Excuse me, but last time I checked, you weren't here for the last nine months," Faye rejoined. "So who do you think you are, walking into _our_ town and telling us what _we've_ done wrong?"

"I'm with Faye on this one," Melissa announced, although her tone was less antagonistic. "Would someone please tell us what's going on?"

Sighing, Levi redirected her gaze to the latter of the girls. "Ask your friends here what happened in the school parking lot this morning."

Again, they all turned to Cassie. She briefly related the encounter, skipping over her fight with Adam, and centering primarily on her half siblings. Upon finishing, she wondered if it was such a grand idea to let them go after all. How much attention would they be willing to draw to themselves?

"I don't understand," Melissa started, "you killed Blackwell; we got rid of the skull. What's the point anymore?"

"Maybe they figure they can convince you to finish the task by yourselves?" Adam proposed.

"You mean the task of killing all non-Balcoins, right?" Cassie nodded in response.

"So you guys had no idea that they were coming?" Levi queried.

In the corner, Jake shifted. "I received a message from my uncle."

"The conspiritist?" Faye asked. "So?"

"It was just a tube and a slip of paper that read, and I quote, 'Your fight isn't over yet'."

"And you're just telling us this now?"

He shot her a glare and said, "I only got it yesterday. Everyone was still reeling from what happened; I wasn't about to go dumping this on top of the pile. Besides, I didn't think he meant the day after we were rid of the Big Bad."

"Yeah, and how did that work out?"

"Faye, enough," Melissa said firmly, placing a hand on her arm. Faye gave her a look of 'what the hell', but refrained from saying anything else. Turning back to Levi, she continued, "But what does all of this have to do with you?"

"John and Scarlett were in my circle," she replied simply.

"Bet your uncle's note didn't mention that either," Adam quipped, sending Jake a look, earning a sneer from the older boy.

Faye stood and moved closer to the woman, her arms folded. "That doesn't explain why you're way out here, yelling at us about not sticking together, instead of back with the rest of them."

"Maybe it's because they're all dead." Levi let out a single laugh – a cold, sardonic sound. "Why else do you think I'd come? To play Foreign Exchange Witch? No, I came because my circle was _destroyed_. It's gone; wiped off the face of this forsaken planet, forever. And I figured that, maybe, you could use a little heads up so yours didn't meet the same screwed up ending."

They stared at each other for a long while, neither willing to back down. Cassie understood Faye's skepticism, they all did, but her absolute refusal to consider it was more or less puzzling. _I thought I had trust issues…_

"How do we know this isn't just some elaborate plan Cassie came up with to get us to do what she wants?" Faye asked, the suddenness catching everyone but Melissa by surprise. "I mean, it's not like anyone else here saw this happen. Just those two," pointing at Adam and Cassie, "and we all know he'd do just about anything she asked, elixir or not. I bet they've already called Diana about this 'mysterious appearance', and when she didn't come rushing back, they thought they'd get us to help."

Levi's mouth fell agape, as though she literally could not believe the inanity of the comment. Then she blinked, and an undisputed rage drenched her demeanor. "You know what? I have to go. I haven't eaten in, oh," she looked over at the Jane's clock still sitting on the bookshelf, "almost eighteen hours, and that was half a sandwich. So while you sit here and fuck around, maybe one of us can be do something at least semi productive."

She started towards the door, but stopped at the archway. Pivoting back around to look at the group, she pulled something out of her pocket, unfolded it, and threw it to the floor directly at Faye's feet. "Tell them this was all an elaborate hoax. If you hurry, you might catch some of them before the decay really sets in."

Cassie did not notice when Levi left – she was too distracted by the picture lying in the center of her living room. It was easily two years old, and initially depicted six kids, ranging from early to mid-teens, huddled in front of a group of trees. Levi's hair was longer, colored brown and green instead of the dark purple it was currently. She stood in between the girl handling the camera and John, who had Scarlett leaning close on his other side. The runt of the pack, a scrawny boy, stared adoringly up at the blonde, while another male took up the end. Then, at the very bottom, situated between Levi and John, was a seventh smile. He could not have been older than three, with a mess of curly dark hair, dimples, and the same blue-gray eyes of the girl whose arm was tenderly placed on top of his head.

-8-

She was barely out the door before the strangled, gurtling noise escaped her throat. If nothing else, it would serve to catch their attention and force them to take a moment. Because at their present state, anything she attempted would merely rebound, and they would all be no better off for it.

_He must have really done a number on them,_ she thought as she skirted a corner, routing her path to the sea. _I can't imagine the whole of them being so cagey for no reason at all._

At least that was one positive she could account the joke of a summit of producing: an item to check off her list. She had been a day too late – Blackwell was already gone, and they were all the happier for it. Well, _happier_ might not have been the precise word, but it was better than them all being dead. Instead, however, she now had unrestrained witches roaming about thinking they were home-free. She would have almost rather to face John, Sr. alone.

Sighing, she allowed herself to unbind from her immediate surroundings, soaking in the essence of Chance Harbor. As she neared the water, a small blip caught her attention. It did appeared that she was not the only questionable character the coven was refusing to admit.


	3. 2: Blame It On The Sun (Part 2)

**A/N: While reading back though it, I noticed how horrible the sentence structure in this one is. The problem is, I wasn't really sure how to fix it. So sorry guys, it is what it is. It's a long setup, and there's a hefty amount of detail I'm trying to get situated, so bear with me.**

**I'm so glad you all are enjoying it so far. Thanks for the reviews! It makes my day reading them.**

**P.S. – In the first chapter I mentioned that I have a list of questions I'm working on answers for. More details on magic use, family back stories, etc. That being said, if there's something from the show that caught your attention and you'd like further explained, feel free to say so. I know I haven't thought of them all.**

**I know there was something else, but I can't seem to remember.**

Disclaimer: All properties belong to their respective owners.

-8-

When they emerged from the house, the afternoon sun greeted them from its place in the middle of the sky. Had they really been arguing for that long?

"Levi said she was going to get something to eat," Adam cited. "I'll check to boathouse first, then head to the Java Brew."

Crossing her arms, Faye declared, "We'll stay here, in case she comes wandering back," and shifted her weight to indicate Jake was second in the 'we'.

"Fine," Cassie conceded with a roll of her eyes. "Adam, why don't I go to the Java Shop? That way we can cover more ground faster."

"Or," Melissa began, glancing between the two with a smile, "since you still don't have a vehicle, you two can ride together, and I'll drive into town." When Cassie opened her mouth to argue, Melissa interceded. "It's really our best option."

The blonde sighed but nodded her agreement. "Let's go," she told Adam, who subsequently led them down them down the steps to his truck

Melissa turned to follow when Faye caught her by the arm. "You're not going to stay with us?" Faye asked. She would have been mortified if she had been able to hear the note of hurt that carried through her voice.

"No, I want to help," she replied decisively.

"Why? What does this have anything to do with you?"

"Faye, if she's from another circle, this has _everything_ to do with _all_ of us." She gave her friend a hard stare before descending the few steps. Contrary to what Faye might have thought, Melissa was tired of having other people dictate her judgment, especially her supposed best friend.

-8-

_ "This has to be some sort of trick."_

_ "I don't think so Faye," Jake argued._

_ "Come on, you guys? Are we really supposed to believe some random witch not only escaped the annihilation of her _entire _circle, but then made it cross-country without being caught? Just to warn us of something we already knew?"_

_ "She couldn't have known that Blackwell had made it here before her," Adam pointed out._

_ "That's another thing. Don't you think it's a bit convenient how much she does know about us? I mean, how do we know she's not one of them?"_

_ "She's not," Cassie stated. "I could feel a… connection… with John and Scarlett, like I did with Diana once both of our powers were activated. I don't get the same sense from her. Levi's not a Balcoin."_

-8-

"Can you believe them?" Faye whined as she stepped into Jake's bedroom. Throwing her jacket to the side, she plopped down on the bed and let out a noise of frustration. "Diana's not gone a day and they've already found someone else to take her place as Cassie's freaky other half."

Jake did not say anything. Rather, he made his way over to the end of his bed and pulled a coffer from the chest on the floor. She watched as he took yet a smaller box out, this one opening to reveal a long silver dagger. "What are you doing?" she inquired as he momentarily inspected the tip, then tucked it into a pocket on the inside his jacket. "I'm pretty sure this qualifies under bringing a knife to a gun fight."

"Which is exactly why they won't be expecting it," Jake replied.

"Still thinking like a witch hunter I see," Faye huffed, turning to glare at nothing in particular.

Today had just not been her day.

She felt the bed sink beside her, but she remained inert. "Are you going to tell me what's really bothering you?" When she did not respond, he sighed, though she could hear the smirk in his voice as he persisted. "I'm not going to ask, so unless you tell me voluntarily…"

"It's nothing." Although her tone was cool, they both knew she was lying.

He stared at her a moment longer before rolling onto his back. Stillness surrounded the two while she continued to brood. As soon as his fingers breached the hem of her shirt, however, her scowl softened. "That's not fair," she protested good-humoredly, glimpsing at him from the corner of her eye.

His lips pulling into a seductive smile, he traced lightly over her spine, sending chills coursing through her. Once he had successfully razed the remainder of her obstinacy, she revolved in her seat and climbed over top of him. Both hands coasted up his chest as she delighted in the thought of feeing his skin pressed against hers. Desire and insecure need welled in her as his fingertips set flame to her skin.

The way he was staring up at her, she wondered how she would ever deal if she lost him to Cassie Blake.

"Aren't we on guard duty?" he half-heartedly asked.

"Who says we can't entertain ourselves while we wait," was her response, supplied with a shameless grin.

-8-

_ "Alright, so she doesn't have the same bad blood. That doesn't mean she's not working for them."_

_ This time Melissa rejoined. "Like a spy? Don't you think that's a bit farfetched?"_

_ Cassie shook her head in agreement with the latter. "No, I don't think she is. She really seems to hate Blackwell."_

_ "Right, because everyone's been so straightforward about their intentions," Faye replied, the heavy sarcasm sending a strained hush through the group._

-8-

For the second time that day, Cassie was caught in the vehicle with Adam, alone. At least when they had been transporting Levi back to her house, there had grounds for silence between them. Now, it only seemed suffocating. She had refrained from protesting as to not cause an awkward scene, and Melissa had banked on it. What was she up to?

A pit of dread formed in her gut when Adam lowered the music volume to speaking level, but was quickly relieved to find the direction of conversation a safe one. "So what exactly was that back there with Faye? None of us are overly keen on trusting Levi, but she's borderline adamant."

"I don't know," Cassie answered. "I can't tell if it was all directed purely at the whole Blackwell situation, or if there's something else bothering her."

"Well she came in with a chip on her shoulder, so I think it's safe to say that Levi wasn't the basis of her animosity."

"No, she just got the brunt of it." She shook her head in distain. "It's not like we can read her mind and automatically know what's bugging her."

"Honestly, I'm not sure Faye even knows what's bugging Faye half the time."

"Oh, no, she knows. It's _everyone_ _else_. They're always coming up with 'elaborate plan's just to screw with her."

He chuckled, a toothy grin breaking across his face, at her attempt at an impersonation of the other girl. "I wonder if she ever listens to herself talk."

"Sure. It's her favorite sound."

It was evident that the prior events had affected Faye more than she was willing to admit – to this they were not ignorant. It was not like they were unsympathetic towards her case. But they had all had wounds inflicted, including one form or another of loss, and some of them had arguably fared worse than the others.

So for a moment, they grasped onto the illusion of being regular teenagers with average mean-girl problems – brushing aside the concept of magic, and pretending like they were not out searching their town for the witch who was potentially the messenger of their circle's obliteration.

And, for the moment, she was almost at peace.

-8-

_"I said I was sorry, alright. If I could turn back time, I would. But I can't."_

_ "There's nothing to apologize for, Cassie," Adam told her, though he was looking at Faye._

_ "He's right." Jake stepped forward and made an outward motion with his hands. "He had us all fooled."_

_ "Oh, sure, he was quite the charmer," Faye replied mockingly. "But _she_ was the one who brought him into the circle." She looked around the room, her face contorting when she received no support. "Am I the only one who's noticed her entire family is made up of complete whack jobs? First her dad, then her, and now her new half siblings. Even Diana was one good shove away from falling off the deep end, which Blondie here may just have well given her. Everything she does leads to some 'dire consequence'. She can't even have sex without trying to kill someone. Now she wants us to accept this Levi woman because of her what, intuition? – and be all happy-go-lucky about it. I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it."_

-8-

As soon as they arrived, Cassie knew she was not there. Why or how exactly, she was not sure; she just knew the place felt void of her presence. Yet, she exited the truck with Adam, anyways, and traversed the parking lot towards the restaurant, in the case that she was simply was losing it.

The Boathouse had always been a sort of comfort for Cassie, even when she thought Ethan had been a traitor to her father. It almost never changed, with its steady crowd of patrons, rustic sea-life décor, and serene ocean view. One could sit and watch the fisherman or lapping waves for hours. And even if he was not drinking, Ethan could ninety-percent of the time be found behind the bar. If there was one constant she could count on, it was here, in this place.

But not today. Today, almost immediately upon crossing the threshold, the buzzing in the back of her head – which, she realized, had never really gone away – grew vastly stronger.

She staggered, reaching for a nearby chair with one hand while the other rose to console her temple. Her eyes drew to slits, and she could barely manage to focus enough to inspect the faces littering the room. At first, none pegged her radar as being conspicuous. Adam was standing at the counter with his father, no doubt discussing recent customers; a lone, older gentleman; a young couple who apparently had likewise taken the liberty of ditching school; and a woman with long hair who preferred this location to the Java Shop's downtown residence for her caffeine needs.

Then, in a booth along the large picture window and near the back corner, she noticed him – a mop of brown hair, sitting amongst two other boys.

Indignation flared in her chest as she eyed them. She could not see his face, but the sensation flooding her was hard to ignore. It bore the trademark of dark magic which inevitably could only be linked to them. No one else had before emitted such, and she had no reason to regard a change in conduct now.

Sucking in a steadying breath, Cassie pushed herself forward, weaving through the tables hastily as to not give them time to respond. Once upon them, she grabbed the scruff of his shirt and pulled him up and out of his seat to her eye level. "You have some nerve showing your… face..." His eyes – his eyes were not right.

She relaxed her hold slightly, providing enough space to take in his full face. His whole face was wrong – wrong eyes, wrong jaw, wrong _everything_; and now that she was truly looking, she could see that his hair was even the wrong shade.

"What's your deal?" he complained in a tone too pitchy.

Cassie did not stop him when he freed himself from her hold. Confusion engulfed her as she remained in rooted in her spot, sweeping her gaze across each of their faces. She knew them, all of them. They went to her school – two of them were even in a few of her classes. If she had taken the time to properly examine their countenance before rushing over, she would have recognized that.

_But, I felt it…_

"I – I'm sorry." She tried to make the words form as the boys stood and made their way past her, although she was not confident they had.

"Handle your girlfriend, Conant."

"Fuck off."

That definitely was not her. The room was ringing too much for that to be her. What was going on? Where _were_ they?

"What was that about?"

"I-" An involuntary groan interrupted her explanation. She brought her hand back to her temple, and leaned against the booth. "I thought they, uh, were Blackwells."

Pressure manifested on her arm – Adam's hand, she assumed. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"There's something wrong with my head. It's why I came over her – I can feel their dark magic nearby."

"What? Can you tell where it's coming from?"

She shook her head, but quickly stopped when her world began to spin. After a second, she looked up to see Adam scanning the area, his mouth pressed into a tight line. "Adam?"

"Come on, let's get you out of here." He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her to the door, giving Ethan a reassuring nod she was too distracted to notice.

The fresh air helped to ease her head. However, it was not until they had put a good distance behind them that the sensation returned to its minimal state.

-8-

Melissa brought her car to halt outside the Java Brew and put it in park. Around her, the streets were hardly occupied. Most of the youth would still be held up at the high school, though it was not unusual for a number of them to skip out. Thus, she was none too worried when she entered the local hotspot of downtown Chance Harbor in the late afternoon of a weekday. A few people on their lunch break glanced up at the sound of the door opening, resuming their activities a moment later without so much a word.

She casually walked up to the female cashier, laying out an order for six – four specials and two black – to go, then moved to the side and leaned her hips against the counter. There were a number of taken tables, full of coworkers, lunch dates, and a few singles, but none the purple-redheaded, black clad woman she was seeking out.

When her order was called, she requested for it to be held while she visited the bathroom. Inside the small space, she checked under both stalls for biker boots, with negative results. "So much for that," she muttered to the walls.

Just as she was about to leave, she caught herself in the mirror. The hard year had done its work in redefining her features, taking away the childish undertone she had always worried would be permanent, and replacing it with a certain edge of womanhood. Her hair had grown drastically, and taken on a deeper hue. The brown of her eyes still held their genial warmth, but they, too, had developed an inexorable hardness to them. If she was being honest, she rather liked it. It gave illustration to the new mind-set she had acquired.

_I wonder what Nick would have thought._ As soon as the words surfaced she shook them away. She had quit letting him rule her mind a while ago.

Back in the main room, Melissa thanked the clerk, and turned to leave – right into the guy who had come to stand in line behind her. A good portion of the hot liquid remained in their Styrofoam homes, whereas the rest split between the floor and each of their clothing.

"I am so sorry," she said hurriedly, kneeling to use what napkins were not already soaked to wipe up the mess.

"Don't be, it's completely my fault." He vanished, then reappeared a minute later with more paper products, and bent down to help. "Let me buy you a new set."

"No, it's fine, really. I shouldn't have spun around like I did."

"And I shouldn't have been so close." When they had finished, they placed the sodden mess on top of the ruined drinks and rose to their feet. "Please, I'll feel like a jerk the rest of the day if I don't."

He was taller than her, though not by much, and attractive. His hair was buzzed close to the skin, accenting his strong jaw. Dark green eyes peered at her through light lashes, hinting at a similar hair color, and a friendly curve tugged at his thin mouth. Coffee darkened a vertical line down his grey v-neck, but did not make it to his jeans. Generally, he did not quite make her type. Yet, for some reason, he sparked an interest in her.

Her eyebrows rose mordantly, but a smile graced her features. "Good thing the day is half-way over," she replied, disposing of the heap in the trashcan a short distance away.

"Yes, I suppose so," he mused.

When she turned back, he was looking at her with a peculiar expression. And while it did not send up a red flag necessarily, the voice in her head told her that, considering her purpose for being there in the first place, she needed to be cautious.

Fortunately, her second round arrived just then. Melissa smiled as she moved passed him to accept the drinks, but was denied when she attempted to pay.

"On the house," the cashier told her.

"Why do I not quite believe that?" she murmured, and shot an accusing glance at the stranger.

He merely shrugged and quirked a corner of his lips. "Hope you enjoy the rest of your day."

-8-

After situating herself in her car, she checked her phone to discover a message from Adam letting her know Cassie and he were back at her place. They exchanged a few vague texts before she finally called. "What happened? Is she okay?" The two, in reality, knew each other to be scarcely more than acquaintances. Nonetheless, she genuinely cared, for Cassie and the rest of her circle. They were like family; and being close to them made her feel like she was in some way closer to Nick, even if she had been trying to redirect her awareness from him.

Adam's recounting over the phone was hardly enlightening, but it gave her enough to know Cassie was fine. Relieved, she reported her lack of findings, to which neither seemed to know what to do with.

"I guess we all meet back up here and wait for her to come to us."

"I'll swing up the long way; see if I can spot her."

"Alright. See you in a bit."

"Yup."

She did as she said, sweeping low in the off chance Levi had wandered further into town. Time was traveling at a rapid pace for it being so close to summer. Or perhaps it was just that they were all so preoccupied that the day was slipping away from beneath them. Either way, it seemed only an indication of what was to be expected in this prolonged horror-fest. She could see why Jake had not been forthcoming with his uncle's warning. The two days break from dealing with crazy had been a pleasant one.

Turning down Cassie's street, Melissa caught the glint sight of their mysterious woman. She slowed down as when she was near enough and rolled down the window. "Hey, hope in."

"The house is a couple of blocks away."

"Yeah, and the coffee's already cooled enough. Come on."

Levi sighed, but conceded. When she was situated, Melissa started off once more. "Go ahead and choose whichever. The two black were for the boys, but neither has to know."

"Thank you," she replied. Still, she made no move take up on the offer.

Melissa hindered a sigh of her own and set down her own cup. "I know it probably doesn't mean much, but I'm sorry for Faye. She's a bit… abrasive." This earned her a nod from the older female, to which Melissa smiled. "I wish I could say it gets better, but it's more like you just start ignoring it."

"Faye doesn't bother me – I've dealt with much worse." When she raised an inquisitive eyebrow, Levi smirk and went on to explain, "Try being bound to a girl with the same security complex, but hyped on dark magic."

"Scarlett?"

"Mhmm. Faye needs an attitude check, not a mental institution. I'm not so much worried about her. But thank you. It's not yours to apologize for, but I appreciate it."

Melissa flashed her a smile and pulled in front of Cassie's house. "Can I ask something?"

"Sure."

"Are you really here just to warn us about Blackwell's kids?"

The stoicism kept a steady mask over her features, but Melissa could see authentic grief glinting in her blue-grey eyes. "Yes… and no. I want to help in any way I can. And if that means merely sharing my knowledge of the bastards, then yes, I am only here to warn you." Turning her gaze to house before them, she added, "Although I may very well be too late for even that."

They sat in silence for a moment, both dwelling in their own thoughts. Whatever Faye or anyone else thought, Melissa was certain of one thing: she was willing to put trust in this newfound ally if it meant preventing them from losing of another member of their family.

-8-

_ "Look, I'm not saying we should hand her our Book of Shadows and turn our backs," Cassie clarified, meeting the taller girl's gaze. "All I'm saying is that right now, there are four extremely powerful black witches running around Chance Harbor, and we're sitting here in the dark about the whole thing. The least we can do is hear what she has to say; then we'll decide what to do."_


	4. 2: 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviewing, I **_**really**_** appreciate it. Makes my day whenever I come on here.**

**Please don't hesitate to let me know if something's out of line, character canon-ly or otherwise. Things should start picking up and become more exciting after this. Hope you enjoy!**

-8-

She liked her, the shorter, affable one. There was something about her, an energy she produced, that sparked her interest. She was like an untapped well – full of potential, _good_ potential. A moment's interaction had given her the insight she needed to know that she had been held in reserve for too long. But now, she was ready, and perhaps even willing. If allowed, there was a wealth of possibility that could be opened for her. She just needed the chance.

It all came down to the closing statement.

-8-

"Look who decided to show up," Faye's voice rang out as soon they walked through the door. "Are we over our little temper tantrum?"

"Faye-"

"It's alright," Levi interjected Melissa. Moving closer to the younger girl stationed at the dining room archway, she stopped with little more than an inch separating them. Faye had always stayed cool under pressure, but even she seemed to be affected by the intimidation the woman presented. Maybe it was mystery that clung to her – none of them knew what she was capable of, though was evident she was by far more experienced than any of them. Or rather it was the fact that her voice always held the tone of calm, tightly bound control, divvying only slightly with various emotions. Such as now, when her tenor lowered to emphasize her severity.

"You are part of this circle whether you like it or not, which means you ought to partake in such as are crucial to its wellbeing. Now, I asked Cassie for you all to be here for simplicity's sake, but it isn't necessary. If you don't have the self-control to refrain from being a bitch long enough for me to give you the information you need to _survive_ this war – because yes, you are in a war, congratulations – you can go on home like the little brat that you're behaving as. Do we understand each other?"

Backing up slightly, Faye turned to Cassie and asked, "_Where_ did you _find_ her? She sounds like my mom." Levi crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, earning her an exasperated sigh from the girl. "Whatever," she muttered, skirting around her. Faye took a cup from the tray Melissa was holding prior to taking a seat once more on the couch.

"Coffee," Melissa proclaimed, showing off the tray as she walked over to place it on the table. She took a second cup before moving to allow the others to choose and gave it to Levi with a wink. Although she had not said anything, Melissa had a feeling she was more of the plain coffee type.

Her conjecture was rewarded when Levi gave her small smile. "Thank you, again." Yet, it was not until the others had found their own and sited themselves that she took her first sip.

"Let's get on with it, shall we?" Faye prompted after minutes had gone by without a single attempt at a conversation.

"I think," Levi started, fixing her arms over her chest, "that it would be best if you told me what you've learned first. It'll make connecting the dots easier, and we won't have to waste time trying to explain what you already know."

The five tensed at suggestion, all unwilling to relive out loud the earlier events. Even Melissa bent her head slightly in resistance, the thought of having to describe Nick's death muting her.

But she remained uncompromising. "I don't need what you had for breakfast the second Tuesday of October or who fucked behind the gym – unless it involves Blackwell, witch hunters, or is otherwise black magic-related. Please.

There was another bout of silence, then Cassie spoke up. She recounted everything as they had been made aware of it, from her mom's death and her arrival, to Blackwell's death and Diana's departure. Her narration varied in detail at certain parts, skipping over Adam her relationship almost completely, as well as the direct effects of the skull. Other areas created the perfect image of what had occurred.

Of course, it was the former which Levi fixated on, one fact in particular causing her shoulders to slack faintly in disbelief. "You only have _two_ Book of Shadows? That's it? To share amongst _all_ of you? You're kidding."

"Yes, because we thought it'd be fun to give you a bunch of random facts just so you'd ask stupid questions."

It was as if Faye had not even spoken. Levi exhaled noisily through her nose, her eyes flickering at the patch of floor before her feet as she dived deeper in thought. After a heartbeat, she reached her long arm over and placed what sounded like a now empty coffee cup on the table. "How much do you practice?"

"I – I don't think I understand what you mean," Cassie replied.

"How much do you all practice magic – separate, together, sometimes, everyday, once a week – what?"

"We, uh…"

"Hey, you got your turn," Faye protested. "We told you what happened here, now it's your go."

From his perch on the couch arm beside her, Jake nodded. "How many Books did you have access to, anyways? I thought witchcraft was abolished for all circles."

Sighing again, Levi readjusted herself against the paneling. "Let me start at the beginning.

"As you all know, John Blackwell needed your circle to be established, so he made sure each of your mothers were impregnated, taking care of the task himself with Amelia Blake, and Elizabeth Meade when Dawn Chamberlain didn't conceive." Faye fidgeted in her seat at the mention of her mother's affair, but remained quiet. "What you didn't know, is that he needed six pregnant teens in Chance Harbor because he knew he wouldn't be back to see that the proper couples stayed together."

"Proper couples?" Adam inquired.

"Yes. In order to have children of the purest, strongest magical blood, he needed not only the most powerful witches available, but also the most compatible."

"The most compatible?" Faye again. "So now John Blackwell is a matchmaker?"

She shook her head, the look on her face akin to a mother trying to explain politics to a three-year-old. "You see, when witches… procreate, who their other half is can affect the child's magical abilities.

"It's like any normal hereditary DNA. The dominant gene will take prominence over inferior and thus will be the one visible. They're both in the kid's chemical makeup, but one precedes the other. It's the same for qualities pertaining to magic. A weak magic in the bloodline will fall under another, causing the witch to be pureblood, yes, but not wholly conducive. If they are both weak, then the child be moderate. But two prevailing gene pools guarantees a powerful witch-to-be."

"So… Blackwell tricked our parents into being together?" Melissa felt her heart sink at the thought. Whenever the topic of the deceased partner came up, the living ones always expressed utmost sorrow over their passing. Was that all a lie, too? That their parents ever truly loved each other?

"No, not at all. Well, he _could _have, but I doubt it. Love is a tricky element to mess with. When artificial, things tend not to turn out how you want them – or as potent. No, he might have encouraged their relationships, but he wouldn't have spelled them into it. That was all up to your parents and fate."

There was a snorting sound from beside her at the mention of 'fate', and when Melissa glanced at the source, she found Faye with a bemused look on her face. "A little ironic, don't you think?"

Luckily, she said it quiet enough that Cassie, who was closest to them, didn't hear. Though, she did not seem to paying them much mind. "How do you know all of this? And what does it have to do with your circle?"

"You'll receive the answer to your first question soon," Levi replied, "But not yet.

"As for its relevancy, John used the fact that none of the Eastern circles knew only his name, not his face, to his advantage. After leaving Chance Harbor, he came to my circle. I was already born-"

"How old are you, exactly?"

Without looking at Faye, she answered, "Eighteen."

They all sat immobile with astonishment. Melissa would never have guessed – she looked easily to be in her early to mid-twenties, possibly older. Her mannerisms, her speech, the steel in her eye that was more than just pigment, it all gave the appearance of someone with years and experience under her belt. But now she was telling them that she was-

"Our age; you're our age! And you think you have to right to waltz in here and treat us like we're beneath you? You must have some nerve-"

Pushing herself off the wall, Levi narrowed her eyes at the girl, her voice lowering. "Look, I get it, you've had an awful time. You've lost people you cared about, and some who you didn't get the chance to. And it sucks. But look around you, Faye, you're not alone. This is a club of tragic and desolate witches." She chuckled, once. "I won't pretend to know what it was like going through your hell, though from what I just heard, it was pretty shitty; but don't you dare pretend like you went through mine. I came here hoping to prevent you from adding to your list. Are you going to let me, or am I going to wade through load of bullshit every time I try?"

"Who says we need your help?" she asked, though by the break in her voice, Melissa could tell it was a ditch effort.

Giving her a knowing smirk, she said, "Says the girl who still has a story to finish."

Faye pursed her lips at the response, but hushed.

"Now, I think it's safe to assume Blackwell tried the same measures in each circle – that is, imbuing certain of the women himself. I'm not sure of all the details, but he obviously won over John and Scarlett's mothers. Then he went for the last two."

Adam shifted slightly in his chair in the corner. "But he didn't magically coordinate all of your birthdays?" It was more a statement than a question, but a question all the same.

"No," she replied with a shake of her head, "he didn't need to, or couldn't. Not all of our parents were a bunch of teenage couples still in puppy love. But he was also able to visit the babies once in a while, which subsequently grew to two or three times a year after we bound our circle. He'd take them on 'camping trips' and 'special vacations', but I felt it. They came back stronger, darker. When they did use their dark magic, we could see it. His taint."

There was a remote quality to her voice at the last segment, and her fingers began to curl. But then it was like she gave herself a mental shake. She heaved a sigh and when she spoke again, her tone was normal. "All of our lives, we'd met with what seemed like sporadic attacks – witch hunter here, a witch hunter there; some random coven chasing after the dark arts; even the occasional demon. Before this year, each of us had lost family in some mishap or another. Eventually, it became just another unfortunate accident for the odd families out.

"This year, though, it was different. Blackwell visited once at the beginning of the year, then dropped off the face of the earth. That's when things went completely out of control. Every time we turned around, there was some phenomenon. We dealt with it the best we could, but we were becoming exhausted and obsessed over the safety of what relatives we had left. Soon, we didn't even have that to worry about.

"Except those in the second Eastern circle. It was a day's trip one way, so we met up on several occasions. The twelve of us were close, practically family. They had had their own misfortunes, but were faring better than us.

"I had just convinced them into coming for a visit. We had just been landed a blow that rattled us pretty hard, and it was time the lot of us figured out what the hell was going on. They were supposed to drive up the next day; they didn't make it."

"If you guys were so close," Jake interceded hesitantly, "why didn't they come running when you asked?"

"The last time we had gotten together was before things had gotten intense, and it didn't exactly go well. I… said some things that weren't well received by the others."

"What did you say?" Melissa asked.

She shook her head, but replied, "I pushed the issue against our certain members. Although the rest could all see that there was something wrong with their dark magic, and with Blackwell – _Mason's_ – suspicious behavior, they didn't want to believe it would turn into anything more than what it was at the time. They couldn't feel what I did, so they thought I was paranoid."

"You keep using that phrase," Faye spoke up, "what are you, psychic?"

"We're not taking personal questions yet, I thought. Now, no more interruptions; let me finish.

"The next day was D-Day. Conveniently, I had traveled out of town to recover one of the Book of Shadows we had stashed for when the second circle arrived. I was just on the outskirts of town when it hit – the unbinding. A moment later, I was attacked, _from inside my body_. The pain was incredible.

"But it was nothing compared to when they killed the first one; like a light being snuffed out. It was there one minute, and just gone the next. I tried, damn it did I try, but I failed."

There was a pause as she tightened her folded arms and paced a few feet. "That's when the other two found me. They barely checked to make sure I was actually dead before rolling me into a ditch. What they were even thinking – I guess that's what you get when you leave four power-mad teenagers liable for themselves. Sloppy work and loose ends.

"I waited until they disappeared, then I gone, heading for Chance Harbor."

"You didn't go back to make sure the others weren't still alive?" Adam voiced.

Her eyebrow quirked at the inquiry, but her voice was its usual edged-calm when she replied. "No. I wanted to for all the life in me, but they were dead, and getting myself caught was not going to bring justice to their deaths."

"But you didn't _see_ them die."

"Your right, I didn't. Sensing as their life force left their body was enough for me to get the picture."

Faye brought her hands up and let them fall onto her lap, creating a loud enough _slap_ that brought everyone's attention to her. "There you go again. What is it with you? Seriously, I want to know."

"It's… complicated," Levi answered evasively, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"No, no that's not good enough. You've finished your story, now tell us."

"Actually, I think it's my turn again." Turning to Cassie, she revisited her earlier subject. "You have two books, and you obviously aren't practicing like you should. Tell me, how much do you really know about the forces your playing with?"

Before answering, the blonde witch glanced inquiringly to four of them, silently asking the golden query, "Do we trust her?" Even then, it was not so much a question of whether they _trusted_ her at the moment, but rather whether they would _allow_ her the chance to earn that trust. They had already been burned once, could they afford another?

Melissa was the first to nod, followed by a slow shake of Faye's head. One yes, one no. Jake merely shrugged, although he seemed more inclined towards Faye's line of thought. Adam nodded, which did not surprise her much. That meant it was up to Cassie to decide.

She was quiet for a minute while she contemplated, her eyes ever searching between Levi's and theirs. Finally she said, "I want to know about how you can sense things, or whatever, first."

"You're so hung up on that, aren't you?" Levi half-smiled and stepped back to lean against a chair. She had been standing the whole time, and it did not appear that was about to change any time soon. "It's not anything dark, if that's what you're thinking. Faye here was actually close.

"My mother was a type of psychic. Something about how her family's magic counteracted with a birth defect hindered her from becoming a full witch. Instead, it centered fully on her mental capability, giving her a sort of third eye. She passed it onto me, in a sense."

"It doesn't sound complicated," Faye muttered.

"That was the abridged version. There are a lot of technical terms that I'm not going to throw at you all, especially considering your refusing to tell me of your magic status has me understanding that it is all but nonexistent. I knew the Western circle was the reason for witchcraft's abolishment, but I didn't realize it was taken so literally as to deprive you of even your fundamentals."

"You say that like you weren't."

Levi raised her eyebrows, and the whole room fell into an uproar.

"What?"

"You're kidding!"

"Nuh-uh. There's no way!"

"Your parents taught you witchcraft?"

"What about the elders? Didn't they stop you?"

"That's got to be a crock of shit."

Sighing, Levi raised a hand, then patiently waited as they settled themselves. "Look, suffice it to say, our circles were less than inclined to agree with the elders' radical notion against magic."

All six fell into a hush as they though over the news. Here they were, faced with a circle witch who had been unhindered by lack of access or law. She had been granted the opportunity for years to practice, and with a full coven. The things she could tell them… That was – if she was telling the truth.

Yet, now after hearing her explain her past, Melissa found herself having a difficult time _not_ believing her. The last time they had been offered help, it had been presented under an unclear motive – a supposed concern that had been complacent years preceding. This time, the objective was viable: vengeance and the prevention of a tragic repetition. And she seemed genuinely worried over their circle's survival.

Outside, the sun was setting, casting shadows along the walls. Noticing this, Levi moved away from the table and towards the door. "I think that's enough to consider for one day."

"Wait, that's it?" Cassie called, getting to her feet. "You haven't answered half our questions. And I thought you said you were going to give us information on John and Scarlett?"

"I have," Levi replied, halting in her departure. "They took out their _entire circle_, people they had known their whole lives, who were supposed to have been their friends, at the tip of a hat – all for the goal of amplifying their dark magic. For all I know, they had been in on the plan for years, just biding their time until they could get rid of us. We were in their way, and we paid the price."

Her gaze brushed over each of them, then lingered on Cassie. "There is much more I can provide: knowledge of how they think, what drives them, exactly how far their willing to lower themselves to achieve whatever it is they've been tasked with. Training. But I can't do it in one day, sitting in a room talking to a people who barely take my words for a grain of salt. It's worse than doing nothing."

"You have nowhere to go," Melissa pointed out.

"That's not entirely true," she replied, smirking vaguely. Then in a more serious manner, "Be careful, all of you. This is a game to them, but one they take _very_ seriously. They are dangerous, and solo magic or not, they will shred you if given the chance. So don't give it to them."

Then, as if suddenly remembering, she added, "Oh, and while I was throwing my little 'temper tantrum'," a none-too discreet glance at Faye, "I paroled most of the edge of town. All four were here the other night, but two have disappeared. I think we can presume why."

Melissa thought over it a moment, her eyes widening when it hit her. "Diana." Cassie had said it out loud, but it was evident they had all concluded the same.

Levi nodded gravely in response. "Whatever you decide, do it fast. We all need to figure out our next move in correlation to theirs, and we're running out of time. I'll be following the lines if you want to find me."

-8-

"Does anyone else's head hurt?" Faye rhetorically inquired when she had left.

Ignoring the girl, Cassie went straight for the punch line. "So, what do we do?"

"It doesn't really seem like we have much of a choice," Adam said, shrugging. "Either way, we're taking a huge risk."

"I don't like her," Faye announced.

"Shocking," Melissa remarked.

Faye shot her a glare before continuing. "I mean it. The whole weird calm thing she has going on is just spooky. She reminds me of one of those Madame whatever's in movies who are always proclaiming some inevitable doom. It's unnerving."

"So basically you just hate her because she's psychic."

"No… although it doesn't help. It was bad enough being connected to all of you; we're not even bonded and it's like she's inside my head."

"Faye's right," Jake declared suddenly, "we met a psychic before, and it didn't exactly work out. Now one who's half witch? I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Yeah, how does that even work? I thought she said Blackwell wanted pure witches. Can she even be considered a pure blood?"

"I don't know…" Cassie replied.

"She said her mother came from a family of witches, but she had like a birth defect," Melissa offered. "Maybe that still counts. It's not like we've had the chance to see her do any magic."

"From the sound of it, there's a lot we've been held out on," Adam stated.

To this they all murmured their agreement.

"Do you believe what she said, about the Eastern circles being lenient on magic?" Jake inquired.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what to believe right now," Cassie replied, sighing. "She was right about one thing – we're less than educated, on any of this. What we've learned from our books has been too all over the place. Even with what we've researched, it's not enough. We need help; and if not from her, then from someone else. Maybe your mother?"

Faye frowned and shook her head. "I don't think so. She might be able to help some, but she's not at full power. She drains too easily right now."

"Then, I think we know what we have to do," Adam said.

No one responded – there was nothing to say. Caught between a rock and a hard place, it was either accept the aid offered and be potentially burned, again, or reject and try to figure it out themselves with only a quarter of the pieces. But whichever, they were in for the summer of their lives.

-8-

_I'm not here to save you_

_I'm not here to change your mind_

_I'm not here to hold you down_

_Or leave you half-alive_

_I came here to wake you_

_To open up your mind_

_Go on, go on, just close your eyes_

_You could save your life, it could save our life_

_You gotta die to save you._

_[Die To Save You – Sick Puppies]_


	5. 3: Welcome to Summer School Witchcraft

**A/N: Alright, so misinformation. The **_**next**_** chapter will be the start of more action. Sorry. This one ended up being a bit more extensive as a set up than I had originally planned. But part 2 will be more fun, I promise.**

**Thank you all, again, so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. And I'm glad you like Levi. I was slightly apprehensive about adding an OC, but with her around I've been able to weave some more complications into the plot line – which I will be getting to soon. Because where there are witches and magic, evil things tend to gravitate; and not just the Balcoins.**

**And thank you **_Carolinas_ **for the reminder. I don't know why I was thinking uncle. (As to Faye, to me, she seemed a bit overcompensated. It's definitely interesting and kind of fun having someone like her around to write in for. I just hope I'm not over doing it.)**

**Last thing: I'm sorry it took so long to get this up. I've had a pretty un-inspirational week for writing. The chapters might start going up a bit slower – one or two a week – from now on, just because I have other projects I'd like to make time for. So don't think I've just dropped this if you don't see an update within a few days. I fully intend to see this through to the end.**

-8-

The next morning brought no comfort or clarity to the situation. Rather, they had departed more anxious than before. After Levi's warning, Melissa had gone to spend the night at Faye's; but while Adam and Jake had both insisted on staying with Cassie, she had finally convinced them to go home. She was a Blackwell, after all, and thus not the one who needed protecting.

Yet, several times during the night she had jolted awake, once more feeling the watch of ominous eyes, and swearing she had heard someone outside her house. Whenever she got up to check, however, there was nothing. With all of her paranoia, she was lucky to have gotten four full hours of sleep.

Once dressed, she forced down a banana – being too tired to manage anything more, but knowing it was to be a wearisome day – and filled a thermal of coffee, then trudged out into the world. The morning was just as sunny as the last, though a cool breeze had arrived to help ease the transitioning of seasons. She took it in a deep lungful as she stood on the veranda, and ended up exhaling a yawn.

It had taken them a while to concentrate their overworked minds, but when they finally deduced that Levi's hint of 'follow the lines' referred to the magic polarities, it was palpable she meant that she had found the abandoned house. _Of course she had._ With hardly another option, they scheduled to gather there early that afternoon, before Cassie's shift at the Java Brew.

Having decided to travel on foot, Cassie turned south and started down the sidewalk. The crisp sunlight brought freshness to her thoughts, overriding the sluggishness that came from sleep deprivation, and allowing her to ponder over what was to ensue the first day of her summer vacation. Frankly, she had not the slightest of clue what to expect. Cauldrons and herb roots? Levitation and wand crafting? Frog legs?

The last idea brought a small smile to her lips. _Alright, no frog legs. But still… at this point, I don't know if I'd actually be surprised._

She was several blocks from her home when she was struck with the tingling sense in the back of her head. It was stronger than the first time it had manifested, but not nearly as intense as it had been in the Boathouse. Suddenly alert, Cassie rotated in a slow circle in search for the perpetrator. She was quickly becoming sick of the feeling of being watched and taunted. "I know you're there! Stop acting like a coward and show your face!"

"Cassie?"

Jumping, she turned to find that, while she had been distracted, a blue truck had driven up beside her. "Oh, Adam, hey."

"Hey. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good," she replied, swallowing her paranoia away. "Just headed to the house."

"Why don't I give you a ride? Everyone else is already there."

She fidgeted, battling between desperately wishing to avoid what was most likely to be yet another awkward car ride, and wanting to just get to the house and get the whole thing over with. "Uh, sure." Why did it seem like the more she tried to put distance between them, the less there became?

Reluctantly, she walked around the front of the truck. Her eyes roamed the neighborhood once more as she slid into the seat, but nothing moved. Whoever – or whatever – was out there remained cloaked from her view.

They had only gone a little ways when Adam spoke up. "I don't think you should be out by yourself."

"I'm fine, Adam. John and Scarlett need me on their side; they're not going to do anything."

"You don't know that. We don't know anything about them, except that they've had years to practice their dark magic. What if you get caught, and they brainwash you into thinking you're on their side? Or torture you to get to us?"

"I don't think brainwashing is an option here. And they're not going to torture me," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Are you sure?" He glanced over at her a second. "No one said they needed you to willingly cooperate. They just need your blood to bind the circle."

"I have to accept the circle for it to be bound."

"For ours, sure. But this isn't exactly a normal circle we're talking about."

"You think the dynamics will be different?" she asked doubtfully.

He shrugged, and replied, "All I'm saying is that at the moment, you're as vulnerable as the rest of us are. You just aren't faced with the same consequences."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Cass. It's not that cryptic." When she didn't respond, he sighed. "If we can't figure this out, the worst you'll get is acquiring some ultimate dark magic. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be dead, most likely from the worst way possible. I'd say yours is the better end of the deal."

"How about the part where I lose the last people I care about?" Cassie challenged, too offended to care that her voice quivered with emotion. She could have imagined being fronted with such an insinuation from Faye, but Adam? He was the last person she would have ever thought to say such things to her. The way he said it, too, was unlike she had ever experienced his tone to be. It was as though he was speaking at her from somewhere cavernous and dark and restless. Is this what he candidly thought of her – a black witch as power-crazed and soulless as her relatives?

Then, just as yesterday, shock gave way to fury. And between the lack of sleep, and the drumming in her head, she was little willing to control her temper. "You know what? Screw you. Stop the car, now."

"Are we really going to do this?"

"Stop the car, Adam."

A frustrated grumble came from his throat, but he pulled to the side. The car had barely stopped before she had jumped out. She slammed the door shut, a bit sore that the window was already broken, and preceded along the road.

"Cassie!" She did not turn around at his call, instead keeping her eyes on the ground ahead. The house was not far away now; it would not be a long trek. "Cassie! Come on!" Barely a moment after she noticed the vehicle had failed to begin moving again, she was grabbed by the arm and spun around, causing a surprised shriek to erupt from her lips. "Damn it Cassie. Hold up!"

"Go away," she ordered, tearing her limb from his grasp.

"Just, hold on, okay?" He shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of something, only to sigh in resignation a heartbeat later. "I'm sorry. I don't… I don't know why I said that. I didn't mean it, I swear."

"Yeah, you kinda said the same thing when you attacked me yesterday," Cassie recalled half irritably.

He ran a hand over the side of his head, unable to meet her gaze. "I know. I'm sorry."

He did not even sound like the same person. Two minutes ago, he had practically told her she had doomed her own coven, and now he was back to being the Adam she knew – that she loved. Almost the precise same had happened the previous day in the car ride to school. One moment they had been conversing normally – well, as normal as able for their situation – and the next they were at each other's throats.

Sighing, she ducked her head in attempt to catch his eyes. It was then that she noticed the light bruise-like coloring rimming his eyes. If not for the proximity, she would have overlooked it completely.

"Adam, what's wrong?" she asked tightly – the product of her trying to keep the fear from her tone.

"Nothing," he replied, still not looking at her. "I mean, I don't really know."

She smiled faintly and commented, "Sounds like there's a lot of that going on lately."

He exhaled a chuckle and stuck his hands in his front pockets. "Yeah." Solemn faced, he finally directed his gaze to hers, his blue eyes troubled. "Cassie, I can't apologize enough. For all of it. I am so sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. It won't happen again."

Although she knew he meant for it to be true, somehow, she was not certain that it was. Still, she broadened her smile and gestured to the truck. "Alright. Let's get going; too much longer and they might think we've been abducted."

She had intended it to be a joke, but his frowned deepened. "I did mean that, Cassie. I don't want you roaming around by yourself. It's just as risky for you as for the rest of us."

For a minute she thought about arguing. But her head already hurt, and if it eased his worrying, she would at least pretend to consent. It was not like he had to know every time she moved. "Fine."

Adam stared down at her with skepticism laced in every feature. "Cass…"

"I won't."

He did not wholly believe her, she knew, but there was also not much he could do about it. His posture did relax some, and he stepped back toward his vehicle. "Come on."

As she tread beside him, Cassie wondered if he could feel the same thing she did – the tingling sensation. Or was it still just her?

-8-

"What do you think it's going to be like?"

"Jeez, don't sound so excited, Melissa," Faye admonished. "We don't even know if she's _qualified_ for this."

"She has to be more qualified than any of us," Melissa countered, climbing the few steps of the old house.

Jake shrugged and replied, "That's what we're here to find out."

Faye had insisted on picking Jake up on the way, and although Melissa had obliged begrudgingly at first, it had not been as horrid as she had anticipated. Some of their staple banter had transpired, yes, but not to the over-the-top extent she was used to. Moreover, there was a way he had taken to looking at Faye that surprised her.

The first relationship the two had attempted had been an absolute disaster, leading mainly with the deplorable way he had treated her. And when he had reappeared in Chance Harbor, Melissa had had her reservations, despite the impassive pretense her friend had constructed since his desertion. Yet, especially in the past couple of days, she was beginning to see a new chemistry forming between them, chiefly in his treatment of her. It brought a smile to her face knowing they were working things out – save for now, when they were ganging up on her.

Barely refraining from rolling her eyes, Melissa led the way through the door and into the main room. Whereas they had expected to find Levi waiting for them, the room was vacant, void of evidence of any presence besides theirs.

"Wasn't she supposed to be here?" Faye asked.

"She said to follow the lines," Jake recounted. "As long as she didn't mean the road out of town, she'll be here."

"I hope it's soon," she said, taking residence in one of the armchairs. "I want to get this over with."

Melissa scoffed as she made her way over to check to plants. "Weren't you the one who nearly burnt the school down trying to find more power? Now you're saying you don't want it?"

"No, I'm saying that I don't want to learn from another shady psychopath who wants us to believe they're harmless."

"Oh, I never said I was harmless." Melissa twirled around at the sudden additional voice, and smiled slightly at the sight of the girl. She was standing in the archway with a small pile of books in her arms and what was rapidly becoming known as her usual 'you are a dumbass' look on her face. "You all ought to be more aware of your surroundings. If I had been any of the four Balcoins, you would have been dead. Or at least strung up in a line, waiting."

"What are you doing?" Faye demanded indignantly. "Snooping around in our stuff?"

Walking past her, Levi set the books on the table. It was then Melissa noticed there were others stacked in varying piles and spread across the surface. A sweep along the spines suggested the older witch was categorizing them by subject. "Snooping, no. Rummaging to see what I have to work with, yes. Have you guys even touched half of these? There's about three feet of dust on them."

"Most are written in a language we couldn't understand," Melissa explained before Faye could. "And after we found out we couldn't do large spells without a full circle, we kind of just disregarded the majority of them."

Levi nodded and began separating out her load. "A lot of its Latin – with a bit of Greek, Old Celtic, and a few miscellaneous others. They'll be simple enough to grasp once you get past the first couple."

"That's reassuring," Faye quipped.

"It should be, considering how far behind you are."

"Excuse us if we can't all be as privileged as you were."

"Perhaps not," Levi said. "You just acquired the initiative to jump full on the bandwagon, whereas I've been dealing with black magic for years."

Jake, who had claimed a piece of wall to recline against, interjected the repartee to ask, "How many would that be, exactly?"

"It depends on what you're asking."

"When did you start suspecting Blackwell of dark magic?"

She shrugged rather apathetically, reading the title of the last volume of her heap and setting it off to the side. "Memories of his imprint stretch back as far as I can recollect. There doesn't seem to be a time when I didn't know. Of course, it wasn't until later that I understood what it meant."

"Ugh, where are they?" Faye grumbled abruptly, rearranging herself in the chair.

"I'm sure they'll be here any minute," Melissa assured her.

"Well I hope so. I'm sick of waiting around here for them to decide to show up. They should have called if they planned on being so late."

"Faye, it's been ten minutes."

"Tardy people aren't conducive to a productive environment."

Rolling her eyes, Melissa replied, "Neither are attitude problems." Faye shot her a look, but only continued to squirm in her chair.

They fell silent for a moment, claimed by their own thoughts. Then Melissa rounded the table to where Levi looked to be analyzing the collection. "So, you knew Blackwell as Mason?"

"Yes. Although that's all we ever got, 'just Mason'. I guess it was a decently generic name, nothing too eye-catching or off color; perfect for someone trying to stay inconspicuous." She turned to Melissa, a pensive quality to her features. "I don't mean to change the subject, but I need to ask. Yesterday you said that you had gotten rid of the skull. Would you be so kind as to elaborate?"

Melissa cast a glance at Jake and Faye, who both gave tentative motions in response. She was hesitant to give an answer on such a sensitive topic, especially considering Adam and Cassie were not there to give their opinions. Nonetheless, Levi had answered their questions, and she merely sounded innocently curious, in a way that read as though needing some sort of closure. Thus, she gave her a short response. "After Diana and Cassie used it to kill Blackwell, we decided no one should have access to that kind of power. So we disrupted its magic, and got rid of it."

To their relief, she nodded approvingly and replied, "Good. You used iron dustings, right?"

"Yeah," Jake put in.

Levi gave him a peculiar look, which then transformed into a smirk. "At least you've had the encounter with witch hunters to teach you something."

"Right, because almost being torched alive is what I'd call 'lucky'," Faye huffed.

"As morbid as it sounds, you should," Levi stated. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but that's part of what's made me so 'privileged'. I learned a great sum of knowledge through the harassment my circle received during its short life. You can read all the Book of Shadows' you want, but one of the greatest tools for detecting our strength and weaknesses, is learning what our enemies have discovered."

"Well aren't you just a walking philosophical textbook?"

Levi raised a corner of her mouth, then directed her interest once again to Melissa. "If it's not too obtrusive to ask, who was the one to dispose of it?"

"Why do you need to know that?" Melissa inquired cautiously.

"I don't necessarily. I'm just interested in knowing who you felt was reliable enough to carry out such a responsibility."

Faye smiled and shifted towards the older girl. "What, your psychic powers don't tell you that?"

Levi glimpsed at her out of the corner of her eye, but did not respond. "If you can't or don't want to tell me, its fine. Like I said, I was just curious."

"Curious about what?" Adam's voice drifted through the house, reaching them a second before Cassie and he entered the room.

"Oh, uh-" Melissa began, only to have Levi intercede.

"I was wondering which of you buried the skull."

Melissa's eyes flashed to Adam and Cassie's faces as the new arrivals glanced at each other. They both looked somewhat frazzled, although she knew it could not have been from the Levi's inquiry. Something else had happened that they were endeavoring to conceal. An ember of hope sparked as she looked examined them. Perhaps that 'something' had been a break in the platonic façade they were trying to uphold.

She was pulled back to reality when Adam shrugged and replied, "I did. Why?"

Levi shook her head and shrugged as she said, "I'm a bit of a data whore, just being inquisitive."

Yet again, she portrayed nonchalance, and Melissa honestly wanted to believe that was all it was. As she watched Adam meet her steel gaze with his own apprehensive one, however, she could not help but wonder if there was more Levi had perceived than she was admitting to.

"What's this?" Cassie asked, cutting through the subtle tension.

Twisting to face her, Levi smiled at the books the blonde's eyes were ghosting over. "Our curriculum," she announced.

"You've been busy."

"I don't get paid vacation time," she joked, earning a grin from a few of them. "Speaking of which, we should probably get started. I'm sure you all have somewhere else to be later. What?"

The question, a result to the five dubious looks being shot her way, prompted Faye to vacate her chair and move closer to the group. "What happened to we need to cram everything down before the seeds of Chucky come to get us?"

"We do, but believe or not I do remember what it's like to have a life." She glanced at all of them, her eyebrows rising faintly. "This needs to be priority, don't get me wrong. If it isn't, there won't be a life to return to. However, that doesn't mean you become hermits. You will become exhausted if pushed too hard, which is about the last thing we need – five witches down and evil running amuck. No, we'll take this in increments, do what you can handle and build your resilience. There'll be a session as often as possible. But meanwhile, you'll be showing those Nazi knockoffs that they can't steal your freedom that easily."

They stared at her for a long moment, unsure of the appropriate response or emotion.

"Alright," Melissa finally said. "Let's get started then."


	6. 3: 2

**A/N: I'm not entirely sure this can be construed as 'action packed', in fact I know it's not, but it's working there. The story continues to decide when enough is enough, as it should. I just hope I'm not boring the death out of you with all the monologue-ing. Start expecting more surprises around the corner.**

**I've no idea how this turned out. Feel free to point out any and all errors, please.**

**Thank you, for all the great reviews. I do so appreciate it.**

-8-

Levi led them out of the decrepit building and into the forest, following a path only she could see; and the further in they traveled, the more Cassie's anxiety increased. Where was she taking them? And what awaited their arrival? Were they being escorted to their salvation, or their demise? The older witch had spoken promising words, but Cassie refused to let her guard down. After all, it had only been one day, and one without truly satisfying answers.

Adam must have sensed her uneasiness, because he nudged her and gave her an encouraging smile. "Everything's going to be fine," he murmured.

She forced a smile in reply but remained quiet. He had been promising a lot lately that she was not sure he could keep.

Behind them, she could hear the hiss of Faye and Jake's conversation, though their words were indecipherable. _Probably just Faye complaining, again._ Melissa separated the pairs and Levi, hiking through the undergrowth with most enthusiasm of them all – or, really, the only gusto. It surprised Cassie how much she had taken to the new girl in such a short span of time. Cassie had accepted Levi's offer on nothing more than desperation; Melissa, however, appeared to honestly believe her. How she could be so assured, Cassie could not comprehend, but she did. Perhaps she would prove to be the wisest of all of them in doing so. Only time would time.

It was half a mile before they came to a clearing approximately a hundred feet in diameter, give or take. The ground beneath their feet was hard-packed earth, rich brown with occasional intrusive spots of green blades. Trees bordered them from all angles, seeming to lean in and close out as much of the blue sky above as possible. A small tributary of the river nearby babbled softly. The scene looked like the perfect natural battle arena, which, Cassie recognized, was most likely the reason Levi had chosen it.

Upon entering the ring, Levi stepped to the side and raised her voice as they filed in after her. "Alright, we're going to begin as you would any other class. Today will be the appraisal – I need to see exactly just where you're at. It's no use for me to try to teach you something field-grade apprentice would know if you're a novice. We will find your weakest link, and from there work up, together. You may not be bound, but you're still a circle, a team, and you will proceed to operate as such in addition to your individual preparations."

She reminded Cassie of a gym teacher, or drill instructor. Her tone, although still cool in nature, was solid and authoritative. It demanded no dispute, but the utmost respect. Part of her wanted to laugh at the absurdness of it all. As was stated previously, she was their senior by a mere one year, therefore unjustifiable in calling for full supremacy over them. Yet, Cassie found herself with a festering regard for the girl. As suspicious as she came across, she held an aura of wisdom Cassie could not explain or deny, and it drew a well of admiration from those around her. Mr. Tolm, the English teacher, had been affected that early morning; Melissa and Adam had obviously been stricken; and even Faye had caught a strain, though she fought to obscure it. Within a day, they were all infected. Nevertheless, that was provided all the more reason to be watchful. Hers was a different charm than Blackwells, but poison ultimately always killed, despite its introduction.

Levi waited until they were all lined in a bowing circle to speak again. Her eyes trailed along each one, then settling on Faye. "Faye, catch."

It was barely a second's warning before she tossed something small and gleaming at the girl, who caught it out of reflex. Scowling, Faye uncurled her fingers to reveal a silver torch-lighter. "And what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Start it." With warily narrowed eyes, Faye did as she was told, flicking the lid up and pressing the silver button. The flame ignited, its blue blaze flaring directly upwards. More than one pair of eyes gawked at it, curious as to what purpose lay behind its existence. "Feel its heat – the energy coursing through its every quiver? See its beauty – the hue differentiating in each level? Taste its power – the order of atoms and molecules restructuring into something new?"

Cassie inhaled deeply and concentrated further on the flame, falling into a sort of trance as she watching the blue body dance in the breeze. She could feel everything Levi coaxed them to: its force, magnificence, strength. The fire and her energies intertwined, feeding off each other; and not just hers, but the others' as well. They were all connected. With so much fuel, the flame grew taller, but remained in control by their serenity.

"Now, put your arm through it."

"What?" Faye almost screeched, her dark eyes darting to girl.

"You heard me. Burn yourself." She took a step forward, her arms folded, and her face blank save for the glimmer of challenge in her blue-steel eyes. "Why not? You – or we – can heal you after. It'll be like it hadn't even happen. A moment of pain, then _poof_, gone."

"You're actually mental, aren't you? I knew it!"

Cassie could not believe what she was hearing. The others were on edge as well, stiff and buzzing with electricity at the prospect of a potential spat. They were all willing to offer her the chance to train them as she _so desperately_ wanted, to help in the fight against the other Blackwell spawn. However this was pushing the envelope too far. If this was how she planned to approach their education – injuring them in order to teach proper protocol – she was no better than the black witch himself.

Jake moved protectively closer to Faye opened his mouth to protest, but Levi shot him a quick glare that snapped his jaw up and returned to the younger girl. "You didn't answer my question. If you have the magic to simply heal yourself afterwards, why not do it?"

"Because," Faye said, looking at blue flame still flickering in her hand in horrification, "just because I can heal myself doesn't mean I'm gonna to go around inflicting petty injuries. I don't _enjoy_ pain, and I'm most certainly not into it for kicks. Besides, I've never done a spell like that before."

Levi watched her for what seemed like a long time, though it could have only been a couple beats, before cracking a smirk. "Good." She held out her hand and the lighter ripped out of Faye's to land in her palm. Flipping it shut, she stuffed it back in her pocket and leveled with them. Although Cassie did not turn her head she could bet they all held the bewildered mask plastered on her face.

"You are all gifted with an inherited sense of magic – true, blood-born witches. It is an honor and a privilege, but also a grave responsibility. You could damage yourself near the brink of death, and will it well, and it would be all well. However, that doesn't mean you should. Magic isn't something to go throwing around any which way with no regard for its consequences, because it always does have consequences, even in instances where your intentions are pure and the cause is just. A light drizzle can be transformed into a monsoon in the blink of an eye if the magic is too unruly."

There was a grumble from Faye, but Levi ignored it.

"Moreover, you must be wary of that which you start, whether it is something you can direct and conclude. A first-degree burn might be simple enough for one witch, but what about a third-degree? A compound fracture? A concussion or skull fracture? A disembodied limb? A forest fire? A flood? A category 7 earthquake? Those all take a substantial amount of energy and concentration, and some even of more than one witch. Alone, and inexperienced, it would kill.

Her gaze hardened, and her tone dropped. Around them, Cassie swore even the brook was holding its breath. "Magic isn't a plaything. It isn't a joke. It's a force that demands respect, and it's as willing to execute as it is to reward. You must know your boundaries before you engage a task. Or the results could be catastrophic."

"Well, thanks for that warning, Dr. Strange," Faye mocked, rolling her eyes. "But we've already heard it about a thousand times, and never needed a stunt like yours to get it."

"Obviously," Levi replied with a sneering undertone, "that's why you continue to do it."

Faye made a face but did not argue.

"Alright, so now what?" Melissa inquired.

"Now, we showcase the base of your abilities. I want to see each of your individual strength so that I can locate where we need be focusing." They all nodded, though the idea of her knowing their vulnerabilities formed a queasy knot in the pit of Cassie's stomach. That was exactly what they need, her having an even deeper knowledge of their circle's most intimate workings. It was the next question, however, that made her still the more unsettled. "Which one of you favors fire?"

Silence. Cassie could rightfully claim ignorance due to her minimal time practicing witchcraft, but truth be told, none of them fully understood the question. They exchanged glances and fidgeted, waiting for someone else to speak up. It seemed as though every time she opened her mouth, which had been all of barely thirty hours, she left them feeling childish and incompetent. Which, to her defense, was not entirely her fault, nor did it appear to be her intentions. Yet, so it was.

Levi's head gradually fell to the side as the hush dragged on and her gaze pierced through theirs exasperatedly. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily as she ran her hands through her short hair. When she opened them again, the blue-grey of her irises had set in a strange way, shining brighter in the fresh sunrays and with a new determination.

"Should I be taking this as a 'speak freaking English', or a 'we haven't gotten that far in the book yet'?" Her tone was lighter than Cassie had imagined it would be, even to the point of amused, though she was not so sure it was wholly honest.

_Well, at least she has patience._

"I think a bit of both," Cassie answered.

Levi nodded, shifting her weight onto her other hip. "Do you remember the incantation – the oath – you swore to the night you bound your circle?" Slowly they all gave their indications that, yes, they remembered. "Do you recall the first line spoken?"

Another lapse of quiet as they all wracked their minds. It all seemed so long ago, months stretched into years. Cassie had been distracted that night with a barrage of things: still reeling from her mother's death; her newly rediscovered bloodline; Adam…

She cast a glimpse at the boy to her right, wondering if he was having the same thought pattern. Of course, most likely not the first two, but the latter… how had his memories of them been morphed by the elixir? _'Like it was all a movie. Some else's romance that wasn't mine.'_

Forcing herself not to sigh, Cassie looked to where Faye and Jake were causing a scene. Jake's hands were up in defense, presumably after Faye had either nudged or otherwise provoked him. "Hey, don't look at me. I wasn't there."

Faye made a noise in the back of her throat, but fortunately for Jake, Melissa came to the rescue. "It was something like 'fire, earth, air, blood, metal, and water, with these elements we bind our circle… and… walk the path… of our ancestors'?" She brought her shoulders up, scrunching her face in ambiguity. "I don't know. We weren't exactly in the place of real committal when we did it."

"No, that's good. It's not the exact wording, but its close." She smiled as she looked at them – something of an overstatement, considering Cassie was beginning to note that her lips never reached beyond a smirk unless it was one-sided. Melissa flaunted a smile of her own, obviously pleased with herself. Cassie dipped her head at her in congratulations and she beamed brighter in response.

"Fire, Earth, Metal, Air, Water, and Blood. By these elements, we bind the circle, and follow in the steps of our ancestors… Those six are more than just random elements thrown into the ritual to make us sound 'one with nature'. They are, of essence, a representation of each of the core six of the coven – of your circle – and an extension of your power through natural energies. As an individual, you have command over every element, but are synchronized to one of the six in a more rigorous capacity than the others. That means you pick up on its energy flow more fluently, facilitating ease and strength in spells involving that particular element.

"Elemental magic is one of the most basic and crucial of foundations you must come to know. The stronger you are, the more effective your spells in that field will become."

"So how do we know which one is us?" Jake asked.

"Mine is water," Adam declared suddenly.

"How do you know?" Cassie asked.

"It's just been something my whole life – my affinity for water, I mean. That day in the forest, with the dew? That was my spell."

Cassie pursed her lips in thought, while Levi nodded. "It should be in your Book of Shadows. Though, I can see where you could ignorantly skip over it if you don't comprehend its importance. And seeing as some of you are without, there is other ways. There are a number of rituals, but the simplest is persona. Traits of the element can be seen in the agent's magic, his form and character."

She leisurely paced in front of them, probing at each with her clear-cut gaze. How was it that she could be so unapproachable and indulgent at the same time? Halting briefly before Jake, she said, "Fire. It can bring warmth and comfort in the darkest of our nights. But when left unchecked, its intensity is beautifully destructive, filled with an insatiable hunger."

"Earth," she continued, speaking to nobody in particular, instead diverting her attention to the dirt floor beneath her feet. "Constant, reliable, full of rejuvenated life – never ceasing in its efforts to create harmony between old and new. But even it can grow old and its minerals depleted. Sometimes you must give it time to restore itself before planting once more."

_Diana,_ Cassie thought sullenly. Her gaze followed Levi's down as she thought about her half-sibling, the only one she actually cared to have in her life. How was she faring with Grant? Had the other Blackwell's found her yet? How would she react if – or, rather, when – they did?

Her attention returned to her present circle members at Levi's word. "Air." She was talking to Melissa now. The girl met her gaze firmly, a faint upturn on her full lips. "The breath of life – it is easy-going and peaceful on days of sun and contentment. Come a storm, however, it swells are forceful and of deniable strength, detrimental without thought or care."

Next was Faye, who stood with her head held high and a minor exigent edge to her features. "Metal. A superconductor of energy and power, with a strong, almost unbreakable will. Its exterior promotes strapping durability, a relatively easy mend, though once bent its integrity will never quite hold as true as when it was virgin."

Cassie watched Faye swallow and tighten her folded arms. Undeterred, Levi moved down the row. She could feel her breath catch in her throat for some odd reason as the older witch stepped before her, only the let it out in a huff of befuddlement as she passed her to the last of the group.

"Water," she indicated to Adam with a tip of her head, "Calm, adaptable. Ever present around us in each of the three states; and in being such, is sometimes overextended, and underappreciated. As fire and air, its purgative alternates between nurturing, and caustic, due to its milieu."

It took her a moment realize what was left – the final element in the list. As Levi's stare came direct in line with hers, she tried not to anticipate what it was she had to say. Would it have anything to do with her Blake or Balcoin blood? Or did the two differ completely?

"Blood. The life of the flesh. The core of existence. Powerful, ever flowing, and ever tempting the fates. You are at the heart of the coven, yes, but you are also the most easily worn… and most easily corrupted. Without the support of your circle, you are vulnerable to the pathogens lying in your every wake. You are stronger as a whole body-

"-all of you are," she said, raising her voice to ascertain that she had each of their awareness. "You were born coven witches, descendants of the Salem refugees. Regardless of the supposed strength of your solo magic, you were meant to be a part to a whole, and without that, you will remain mediocre in every spell, potion, and sigil you perform."

"It's not like there's anything we can do about it," Faye said. "We're one short, remember?"

Levi's smirk was one of caustic entertainment at the attempt to reiterate their words. "Alright, now that that's settled. Let's get some actual training in, shall we?"

She gazed long and hard at them for a minute before coming to a decision. "Form a circle," she instructed, indicating to the center of the clearing with her head. They did as they were told, shuffling to form a loose ring. Cassie had somehow found herself flanked by Faye instead of Adam, with Melissa still on her left. _Great,_ she muttered sarcastically to herself. _Can't imagine he's too happy about buddy-ing next to Jake, either._ Although, if that was the case, he was too preoccupied with the current happening to pay any mind.

"Come on, people, pretend you like each other. Scoot closer – you should be able to grab hands. There. Damn it's like pulling teeth," she chastised good-heartedly. When they were properly situated, she placed a petite heap of twigs at their midpoint and backed up. "This is pretty straightforward. Jake, you're going to be the focal point. Concentrate on building the fire into existence. You've probably done this hundreds of times, but just, trust me. As for the four of you," she circled them as she spoke, bouncing her eyes off of each of their faces, "as soon as you feel it, latch onto his energy and add your own. I don't want you to focus on _creating_ the flame, just _enhancing_ his magic pool."

They nodded their understanding, and Cassie settled in her stance to wait for her turn as Jake took a deep breath. There was a period of nothing, then, abruptly, a floodgate of sparking force reached her. By instinct, she aimed to match it. And by the subsequent violent combustion that erupted, sending them skirting backwards, she was not the only one.

"Well, that was _perfect_." The murmured remark drifted from behind the group, proceeded by a heavy sigh from their mentor. "Everyone good?"

There were a few sputtered "yeah" and some hasty nods. Hesitantly, they approached their places once more, starring warily in the general direction of blast's origin.

"I give you two guesses why that blew up in your face, literally."

"I don't understand," Melissa said. "We've done that dozens of times before."

"Sure, you started a fire. But between the unceremonious breaking of your circle, and having grown accustomed to _being_ bound, your magic is trying to once more grasp at the loose tails of energy flitting about. It recognizes the fingerprint of the other's essence, but it's no longer able to be as intimate as it is programmed to be. So, its instinct is to rush for dominance. The result…" Her gaze moved to the scattered pile. "Think of it as clashing siblings, or volatile ex-lovers. You have to retrain it to work with each other, rather than against.

"That why, you're learning to become building blocks for your individual magic. Don't compete for the energy, offer it as a resource for the one working the spell. Because of Jake's connection with the element, his directing the flow will create a more proficient flame."

She flicked her wrist, and the twigs collected together. "Try again."

This time, Melissa grabbed Cassie's hand, then Adam's. Cassie turned to Faye, who exhaled loudly but intertwined their fingers. Once the circle was connected, they aimed their attention at the ground.

This time, she was prepared for the torrent that welled through her. Carefully she redirected her own energy, willing it to meld with Jake's. From the corner of her eye, she saw his pupils dilate at the new vastness of power to draw from, but only for a minute as another scene called her away.

An ember had become a flame, which in turn had transformed into a blaze growing steadily taller; yet, its radius remained merely inches. Soon it was licking at the air above their heads, stretching its iridescent limbs. The proximity was just enough to warm her face comfortably.

For the moment, Cassie was able to bask in the glow of their success – true success. The thoughts of how perturbed it made her to be surrendering her magic for another to use, or how Levi had come up with the method in the first place, did not hassle her. No, that would come later, when she was alone with her mind. Now, in the present, she was purely content to have something going right.

-8-

They managed to fit in a couple similar exercises before Cassie glanced at the time. On the way back, Jake, Melissa, and Adam were all positively glowing from the charge they had received during their headship. However, concerning the latter, Cassie had her reservations. During the process, she had noted something off about his energy. She did not remember his supernatural touch having such a bitter undertone in all the times they had done magic together prior to now. Had the others not felt it? Or did they think it a side effect to the elixir? _Perhaps that was all it is,_ she suggested, unconvinced.

As they made their way through the undergrowth, Melissa sped up to walk alongside Levi. "Here, I thought you might like this back."

It was the picture she had left for them the previous day. Their faces were still engraved in Cassie's mind: the pretty girl with long, straight black hair, her bangs pulled back by a clip to reveal hunter green eyes, light freckles, and an upturned noise; the sickly looking boy with a clean-shaven head, protruding ears, and sunken brown eyes; the cropped, fiery haired boy with smooth sun-kissed skin, gleaming hazel eyes, and a toothy grin. More prominently, she remembered the beautiful little kid beaming at the camera.

Levi took it, giving her a grateful 'smile'. "Yes, thank you." She cast a brief, forlornly glance down at it, then replaced it in the pocket of her jacket. It was then the realization hit that she was wearing the same clothes. _She must not have been joking when she said she came directly here._

"What were their names?" Melissa inquired softly. "If you don't mind me asking."

Levi shook her head as she replied, "Not at all. I trust Adam and Cassie pointed out John and Scarlett?" To that Melissa nodded. "The girl beside me was Terri, then Will was the one drooling over Scarlett, and Peter was the boy at the end."

When it was apparent she was not going to identify the youngster, Melissa moved on. "Were they the same age?"

"Terri and Peter were a year younger than me, John and Scarlett two, and Will nearly three."

"What were they like?"

Levi chuckled slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Down to earth, for the most part. Terri had a thing for sticking to the rules, but she was never so obnoxious about it to really annoy Peter or I, just the troublesome three. She was always into having a good time as long as it wasn't stupid, and everyone in the community loved her genial nature. If things had been different, she was bound for college, and a long career as a humanitarian.

"Peter was rather analogous. An all around first-rate guy – into sports, great social standing, always had your back. He'd stick up for the underdogs in just about any situation. Another shoe-in for scholarships and a bright future beyond his term in high-school.

"Will, on the other hand, got involved on the wrong side of the tracks. He clung to John and Scarlett like they were the saviors of the world – mostly 'cause of his outrageous crush on Scarlett. Out from under their influence, he would have been an amazing kid. But he rejected any kind of advancement from the three of us." She huffed a single, incredulous laugh. "They treated him like shit, and he took it, all of it, anything they threw at him. The poor, idiotic bastard."

As they neared the house, Cassie found herself, joined by Adam, Jake, and Faye, leaning closer to hear Levi's description of her late family. It was peculiar, learning the dynamics of her circle compared to theirs. Whereas they got along at least well enough to function as a group, it sounded to be civil war where Levi had grown up.

Reluctantly, to her surprise, she departed from the group, needing to hurry to get to the Java Brew on time. She even accepted another ride from Adam. _Whether he wants it or not, I'm going to have to pitch in for gas money._

As she turned to leave, however, Levi caught her arm. There was a glint in her eye, one of knowing and dark warding, which forced Cassie to suppress a shudder. "When you get the time, there's something I need to discuss with you." The flick of her gaze was so indistinct that Cassie was not sure she had seen it all, until she looked over her shoulder to find Adam a few feet away. It clicked, and she nodded.

Clearly, she was not entirely delusional after all.


	7. 4: Guess Who

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follows. I so greatly appreciate them.**

**I'm sorry it's taken this long to get something up. My schedule has been off, with no help by the holidays. So this one ended up shorter than usual, but I hope you like it. And my apologies for all the errors - as always, please feel free to point out any and all.**

**Quickly, does anyone know around what date it was in the show in the last episode? If you know for sure, I'd love to be informed; otherwise I'm going to have to keep with my rough estimate.**

-8-

The ride to the Java Brew had ensued without incident, as did the work itself – at the beginning.

Due to the increase of free personage unhindered by school-time curfews, the shop was bustling, with new customers arriving seemingly every minute and in large groups. The toll from their last few days was catching up Cassie, fatiguing her muscles and mind so that she was unable to comprehend properly the orders she took or where she was delivering them too. It was a humiliating reminder of her first day on the job, with the fact that they were horribly understaffed being the only thing keeping Cassie from requesting help; and the day gave way to night, it grew steadily worse. Until, finally, the universe spat out the punch line to its cruel joke.

Approaching the couple who had just seat themselves in the back corner, she droned the usual greet while staring at her pad. "Good evening. Welcome to the Java Brew. I'm Cassie, I'll be your server for tonight. What can I get you?"

"Oh so formal. Do you greet the rest of your family in such a manner, or are we just special?"

She did not catch the words – she was too focused on how the first note sent frozen spikes of dread through her blood. Raising her head, Cassie tried to keep her features neutral, though she doubted her successfulness.

They, too, were dressed in the same garb she had seen them in the previous day. Scarlett's hair was neatly combed, and his was a purposeful mus. However, unlike the traveler hidden back at the abandoned house, their eyes were not underlined with the telling of a restless night and taxing labor. Instead, they gleamed with a vindictive cheerfulness. _What have they been up to?_

How she had managed to miss their energy was not a question she had to ask. When considering the sickly way she felt, John Blackwell could walk through the door and she doubted she would notice.

"What do you want?" She had been aiming for threatening, but it came out mildly suspicious.

Shrugging, John leaned his elbows on the table. "To talk. We haven't really gotten that chance."

"Not with that _mutt _hanging around," Scarlett muttered, pronouncing 'mutt' as though a profanity.

He shot the darker blond a glare which she indignantly returned for a moment, then submitted and turned her eyes downward.

_That's… odd._ She cast a glance over her shoulder, wanting to escape from the intoxicating sensation of their dark magic and knowing she needed to get back to her orders.

"Is there a more private place we can talk?" When she snapped her attention back to give him an incredulous look, he added, "Unless, of course, you don't mind including everyone here in discussing our little family dilemma."

Cassie could feel herself shaking as she scanned the room. It was not spoken as a question, because there was no need for it to be asked. They either somehow knew she would not take the chance of her whole town knowing her secret, or were confident enough to place the bet.

"Give me five minutes and I can meet you out back," she said.

"Huh… how does that sound to you, Scarlett?" he asked, though it sounded like rhetorical to her.

Springing a malicious grin, the girl replied, "Like a plan to call in her goonies."

"No, she wouldn't do that to us. We're family, and she'd hate to see something happen to her family, wouldn't she?"

Even with her slow comprehension, Cassie instantly caught the implication. Fury boiled through her veins at the threat. How dare these devil's spawn come into her town, terrorize her sanity, hazard her friends' lives, and now attempt to overawe her at every move. Exhausted or not, if they wanted a fight tonight, they came to the right place.

"Don't worry," she seethed, "I'll be out – alone."

"See that it's soon," he admonished with a humorless smirk.

Without another word, the pair stood and sauntered out, staring at her ominously through the front window as they passed.

When they had disappeared, she hurriedly took out her phone and made to call Adam. Then she stopped. Was this a battle she really wanted to bring them in on? After all, they did not have a bounty out for her head, and if any of her circle showed, she had no reservation that their warning would become a fulfilled promise. Perhaps this was something best left to do herself.

She shut off the screen and slipped the device in her pocket. Walking up to the counter, she called to the man at the machine. "Hey, I think one of the pipes from the bathroom's leaking. I'm gonna run outside and check quick."

"Fine. Just hurry, alright? It's like a tank of coffee-breathing piranhas out there."

"Mhm…" she replied, only partially taking in his simile before pivoting and rushing out the back door.

-8-

Fear. Anger. Hatred. Amusement. _Darkness._

_Always the instigator, never the solution._

Save for endless, excruciating, pitiless death. Even then, who's to say it's stalled there?

-8-

Dim exterior lighting added to poor visibility as Cassie slipped out into the night, providing them the perfect advantage for their ambush. As soon as the door closed behind her, she was pinned to the rough brick wall by a hand on her throat, while intangible manacles subdued her hands to her sides. A jeering grin was spread across the taller girl's face as she stared down at her with eyes alight in mischievousness.

The pressure on her esophagus caused her to gag, in turn evoking John, who stood just behind her, to sigh. "Scarlett, not so rough. We don't need bruising." She complied, but not before casting him an irritated glance.

Cassie gasped as soon as her grip loosened, taking in a deep breath of the warm summer night. Suddenly, she was wishing she had called Adam after all. These two were evidently not in a mood to merely converse – everything about their demeanor screamed contentedly dominant, from their stances to the way neither felt it necessary to check over their shoulders at the perimeter. They were in complete control of the situation, and they knew it.

Hesitantly, she reached down and tapped at her dark magic, focusing on the supernatural restraints. Instead of budging, it grew tighter, wringing harshly on her wrists until a noise of pain bubbled out her mouth.

Bitter laughter sounded quietly, twisting her features into a narrow-eyed scowl. "A meager attempt by a pitiable excuse for a witch – what did Dad ever see in you?"

"Apparently more than he saw in you," she rejoined instinctively, "seeing as though he trusted me enough to leave me alone, and he felt the need to babysit you." The hand flexed around her throat, temporarily cutting off her air supply again.

"Enough."

Although the simple command removed the vise just enough for her to breathe, it remained uncomfortably present. John chuckled then, much to the same extent Levi did when discussing a severe topic – cold, humorless, almost spiteful. An image flashed in her mind – the picture Levi had produced as her evidence – where John and she stood side-by-side, with the little boy leaning back from in front of them. Even with Scarlett on his other side, it had been to Levi he incline too. Was it a coincident, or something more? _How close were those two, really?_

His voice jerked her from her thoughts. "_Babysit_ isn't exactly what I'd call it. More like boot camp, or ROTC for witches. You see," he continued, stepping forward, "our dear old Dad wanted us to be prepared for this moment, so he put us through _hell_ to make sure we were the best-"

"Even better than his little favorites in Chance Harbor," Scarlett interjected, the malice thicker in her voice than what had been hinting in her – _their_ – brother's.

John glimpsed at the darker blond, but only resumed, his eyes darkening as he spoke. "At the beginning, when you're a kid, you reject it. 'Dad, can't we go fishing like you told them we were? Dad, I've already fainted twice, can't we take a break? _Dad_, my _brain hurts_, can we _please, stop_?'"

Suddenly he smirks, his head tilting to the side slightly and his tone lifts. "But after a while, you get over all of it; because even though it does bleed and ache and exhaust you until you wonder how you even manage to open your eyes in the morning, the first time you flex that muscle – the first time you realize it's _working_, that you're becoming stronger than even a bound circle…" His eyes abruptly darkened again, but this time, their black depths were filled a lust so intense it caused a shudder to slide down her spine. "There's nothing like it."

Scarlett nodded, his passion reflected in her blue-green gaze. For a moment, Cassie let herself be engulfed in their enthusiasm. She knew the rush that came with using her dark magic – the invincibility that came with that kind of power. What would it be like to have… more? John Blackwell had always told her not to give in to it because it would consume her; meanwhile he had taught the rest of his offspring the exact opposite. Why? The more she learned about her 'father', the increasingly befuddled she became.

Then something aforementioned pushed forward through the rest, sparking her interest further. "You said Blackwell," there was no reaction from her 'siblings' at the lack of affection in the term, "prepared you for this moment. Does that mean he knew we were going to kill him?"

"You did what?" Her fingers curled, diminishing the gap of exposed skin on her neck.

"Scarlett." A beat went by without result. "Scarlett, get a hold of yourself. Have you forgotten so easily?" Something akin to a growl slipped out of the girl, who loosened her grip only to retighten it a second later and send Cassie skidding across the grass beyond. "You really ought to work on that temper," she heard him chastise over the pounding in her head, although she missed what he had mumbled beforehand.

Her recovery was cut short as the same slender-fingered grasp clenched around her throat, pulling her to her feet. "I'm sorry," Scarlett said in a sickly-sweet tenor, paired with a sneer.

"Oh I'm sure," Cassie spat back.

"You know," she started, bringing her face inches from Cassie's, "if you had just played nice and kept our big mouth shut, this would have gone a lot differently."

"You mean if I had come out here, bowed down, and kissed your ass, right?"

Narrowing her eyes, Scarlett replied, "Up until now, you may have been queen bitch around here. But all that's changed. I've been Daddy's little soldier for ten _long_ years, so now, I get to wear the crown."

Fire course through Cassie as she stood staring at her half-sister; fire and panic. Adam had been right – the fact they shared the same black blood meant nothing; rather, it evoked quite the opposite. Her lack of whole-hearted cooperation earned her the role of prisoner, to be dealt with and forced into submission by whatever means they deemed necessary; and there was nothing she could do about it. She was outnumbered and outmagiked. Even with her dark magic and solo magic combined, she was not strong enough to overthrow them. Maybe either individually, but not both at the same time.

What were they going to do with her? Lock her away until they finished off her friends and found Diana? Or would they prove Adam right once again, and use her as the object of her circle's destruction?

Her mind flooded with unanswerable queries and untamable anxiety. They should have stopped practice today – she should have just called in sick and stayed at the house. None of them were ready for this, and Levi knew it. If she managed to escape, Cassie was going to make sure they learned more than how to grow a bonfire, fundamentals known or not.

"Don't you think your head's a little too big?" she quipped.

"_I_ think it would be in your best interest to mind your tongue," John warned as a bolt of pain shot up through her arms from where the magic cuffs still clung to her wrists. With a simple tip of his head, Scarlett locked her grip and began shepherding Cassie towards the back alley.

There was nothing she could do – screaming would only draw the attention of innocent civilians around the coffee shop, who could do nothing to help her. The duo would not hesitate to injure, maim, or otherwise murder a single person inside. She was utterly alone.

What happened next unfurled at such a rate, it took her mind a hard minute to process everything.

-8-

A dark shadow of figure, shapeless and clad in all black entered from the right, opposite the side Scarlett flanked. Then Cassie was thrown back, out of the taller girl's grasp, audibly landing on the ground and was sent rolling until she hit the brick wall. Groaning, she brought a free hand up to her head but raised her head to watch the proceedings.

Relief flooded through her at the thought that the smaller blond would be alright. The sentiment was short-lived, however, as the rescuer was tossed mercilessly to the side. The siblings shared a look of contempt before turning to the newcomer. Slowly yet assertively they approached, ready to deal their punishment for the interruption.

They did not get the chance. It was their turn to become shoved aside, disturbing their balance but not causing them to become airborne. Two dubious gazes whipped around and instantly hardened at the sight that met them.

Melissa stood with the rest of the present circle, positioned as sentry several feet behind Levi, who faced the pair with an eerily calm bearing. Jake, Faye, and Melissa had all been sitting around the abandoned house – the former two separate from the latter as she studied over the spell books Levi gathered – when the older witch had suddenly stiffened. Moments later, they had all been rushing to the Java Brew, with Melissa calling Adam to meet them there. Levi had only given them a brief explanation, but it had been enough to force them into action.

Now, the four of them were torn between wanting to hurl their own magic at the intruders and wanting to rush to check on their friend. Nevertheless, Levi had told them to wait, so they were hard-pressed to do so.

The misfit girl shot a glance at the figure, who, now without his hood, could positively identified as a male. He was getting to his feet, and staring at her with a mostly composed mask, except for the shimmer of incredibility lying underneath. She raised her hands, the glint of steel apparent in her right, and he nodded knowingly.

As his body stilled, she redirected her focus to John and Scarlett. Levi carefully and deliberately drew the knife across her palm, the rumble of her words incomprehensible as she chanted. Barely a second had gone by, providing them no time to react to the unexpected appearance of six others, let alone Levi's spell.

No one anticipated Levi's spell.

Her silent voice drifted through the night, the moment it hit them apparent. They began coughing, doubling over as it quickly intensified, all the while she advanced ever closer. Then Melissa noticed the blood dribbling down their chins.

The four at the rear froze, too entranced to even glance at each other. Not for the first time, they wondered who precisely had entered into their town, and found her way to them.

She continued forward until the twosome finally stumbled back. John's glowering dark eyes flashed at the boy to his right, then at the caster. "Don't get too comfortable. We'll see you catch soon enough."

And just like that, they were gone.


End file.
